The Hunter
by Jane McBrennen
Summary: Beth is a depressed cutter who catches the interest of James, the hunter. What happens when James starts getting attached to his new pet?
1. Chapter 1

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 1: "The Hunted."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf.**

Beth Sanderson walked through the woods surrounding Forks, her backpack in one hand, _Romeo & Juliet_ in the other. It was required reading but she'd already read it as Shakespeare was her favorite author. She was looking for the perfect place to read it.

She stopped at a fallen log and leaned up against it, soaking in her surroundings. She loved the woods. There was nothing more comforting to her than the smell, sight and feel of a forest. She lived in the woods most of the time. She hardly ever went home anymore. Not that there was much to go home to. Her father worked all the time and her mother was a drunk who couldn't be bothered to throw away her empty vodka bottles.

Beth curled up and started reading her book, reciting lines aloud that she liked the best.

"O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!  
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night  
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope's ear;  
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!" she read with feeling.  
"So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows," a voice quoted from behind her.  
"As yonder lady o'er her fellows shows.  
The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand,  
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.  
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!  
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

She smiled and turned around, her eyes falling on a beautiful young man who was breathtaking in the extreme.

"Hello," she said.

His hair was long and blonde, tied back in a ponytail. He wore an open jean jacket with no shirt underneath and denim jeans that looked faded and worn. His eyes were dark, a red that almost looked black, like blood. His skin was pale as moonlight. He was beautiful.

"Hello," he said with a grin that looked a little frightening in its intensity. "Don't you look… _appetizing_."

She tilted her head in confusion, but smiled nonetheless.

"You know _Romeo & Juliet_," she said in wonder.

"Yes," he said, licking his lips, the look of a predator in his eyes. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, I think it's wonderful," she said with enthusiasm. "Do you?"

"No," he said. "I always found Romeo to be a bit of pansy."

She frowned.

"Then why memorize it?" she asked, taking in his breathtaking beauty with wondering eyes.

Was it possible for a human being to be that beautiful? And if not then what was she looking at?

"I was bored," he said as he looked her up and down like some kind of treat. Perhaps it was what she was wearing. She was only in a tank top tied around her midriff with jeans and a jean jacket. It was a revealing outfit but not too sexy. She certainly looked nothing like him.

"Interesting way to cure boredom," she said with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow.

He grinned.

"You're interesting," he said. "Stand up and come over here."

She didn't hesitate to obey his order, rising from her seat on the damp ground, brushing off her backside and stepping over the log and toward him. She was curious. She would be the first to admit that. He wasn't like anyone she'd ever met. She didn't even know his name and already she was fascinated.

She stood a few feet from him and he closed the distance, circling her, looking her up and down.

"You know, for a human, you're actually rather lovely," he said with a feral grin.

"Human? And what are you, a vampire?" she said snidely.

He threw his head back and laughed, and suddenly she was frightened. Something was wrong. People didn't have red eyes. Something was off about this guy.

"I have to go," she said suddenly, frowning.

She turned around to get her backpack but she was forced to stop because he was standing right in front of her. What? How was that possible? Had she lost her mind?

"I don't think so," he said, baring his teeth in a wicked smile, his eyes impossibly dark.

Her breathing became uneven and she took an involuntary step back. Her foot caught on a tree root and she began to fall backwards. She felt him before she saw him move. His arms were around her before she could blink, supporting her totally. He lowered his head to her neck and sniffed the skin.

"God, you smell good," he breathed against her skin.

"Please…" she said, hardly knowing what she was asking for.

His body was so hard and solid, so cold and inhuman. She could feel it through their clothes, the impossible hardness of his body. It frightened her.

His tongue trailed up her neck and he nipped at her skin roughly, drawing blood. Her skin burned where he'd bitten her. It was like no pain she'd ever felt. What was he doing to her?

He sucked at her skin, worrying the wounds and drawing more blood.

"Please-" she said, cut off by him biting sharply at her neck.

She felt violated. This was all wrong. What was happening to her?

Things started to get hazy as he drained the blood from her body, drinking deeply from her neck. She didn't know what was going on but the searing pain had stopped and all that was left was a dull ache.

She felt herself begin to fade. Her vision was all black and white spots, her thoughts were getting unclear, and all she could do was live in the sensation of being held by strong, cold arms, pressed against a hard, lean body.

Then her world faded to black.

Beth woke up to the sounds of birds singing. Her eyes fluttered open. She was laying in the middle of the forest. Memories flooded her mind. The man she had seen, the one who had drunk her blood. She was alive? How? Surely he'd been a vampire. Why hadn't he killed her? And had he really been a vampire? Was that even possible? She could think of no other explanation for it. He had to be.

She looked around her, frightened. There was no sign that anyone else had ever been in the clearing. Had she imagined all of it?

Her hand went to her neck and came away with blood. No, she hadn't imagined it. Her neck was deeply sore and ached terribly. But she was a cutter so the pain didn't bother her that much. Only the fact that she'd just been attacked by a vampire and lived. She wouldn't tell the tale. People would think she was insane. No, she couldn't tell anyone.

She felt weak and limp when she moved. She tried to sit up but she was so tired it took several tries. When she finally did manage to sit up she noticed that her backpack had been moved from behind the log to next to her. It was unzipped. Someone had gone through it. The vampire.

She opened it the rest of the way and rifled through it. The only thing missing was the book of poetry she wrote in. She couldn't imagine why that would interest him. It was just the ravings of an unstable girl who needed therapy and heavy psychological medications.

She rose from the ground and slung the backpack over her shoulder. She picked up _Romeo & Juliet _from where it lay on the ground. She walked home. It was morning, she found out when she got home. Her mother was still passed out on the couch but her father had already left for work. It was too late to go to school, not that she'd be able to hold her head up in class with as tired as she was, so she went to bed.

 _Bleed, bleed, I always bleed_

 _When I want to be freed._

 _Angry, alone, scared and broken,_

 _So many tearful words left unspoken._

 _I hurt, my soul's pain,_

 _Grips me in agony again and again._

 _Bleed, I always cut and bleed,_

 _When I want to be freed._

 _The numbness dies on the tip of a razor,_

 _Blood drips from my arm, a new intense flavor._

 _Bleed, bleed, I always bleed when I want to be freed._

James read the words over and over again. What would this pathetic human know of a soul's pain? What did she know of souls? What pain could she possibly have in her life that was so terrible?

Still, she interested him. He wouldn't have spared her temporarily if she hadn't. He would hunt her secrets, make her tell him everything, and when his curiosity was satisfied, then he would end her life. Until then, the game would go on.

 _Let it begin…_


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 2: "The Kiss."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

Beth emptied the trash and took it outside. It had been three days since the attack and the tiredness hadn't gone away. It had gotten better, but it hadn't gone away. She still couldn't wrap her head around what had happened. She'd been confused and numb since it had happened. She felt like she'd been raped. She felt molested and dirty, used. She couldn't believe that it had happened. She'd given sustenance to a monster, fed him, kept him alive. She'd done a lot of cutting over that.

"Your poetry is interesting," a voice said from behind her.

She whirled around and came face to face with the vampire of her nightmares. She opened her mouth to call for help but the words froze on her tongue and she was unable to utter a single syllable in defense. And then it didn't matter because he was in front of her, his finger to her lips.

"Shh," he whispered. "We wouldn't want to wake up your mother, now would we? Not when she's worked so hard to drink herself into oblivion."

She shoved his hand away angrily.

"Don't you dare talk about my mother, you monster!" she said fiercely.

"Or you'll do what?" he said with a derisive laugh. "Tell on me? You wouldn't dare. They'd think you were insane. And it's not like you can do anything else to me. I'm a vampire after all."

He sounded so cocky, so proud of the fact; it made her sick and angry. She glared at him furiously but said nothing.

"Cat got your tongue?" he said, circling her. "What, no angsty poetry about cutting? I thought that's what you did. Wrote crappy poetry about how bad your poor little life is and cut."

"You know nothing about me," she said darkly, her chest heaving with unspoken anger.

He smirked.

"Don't I though?" he said in her ear, his lips brushing her skin. "Beth Sanderson, seventeen. Your father works all the time and your mother drinks herself into oblivion before noon every day. You were recently in the hospital with severe depression because you were suicidal. You were released three weeks ago but you haven't been any better, not really. You still think your life is hell and you bleed, bleed, bleed when you want to be freed. Isn't that right, Beth?"

"You had no right to read that!" she said, horrified.

"Right? What right did you have to write it? What in your life is so bad that you can't bear to live without cutting yourself bloody every day? Did your pimply boyfriend break up with you?" he said with a snort of disgust.

"I've never had a boyfriend," she said irritably.

"Really?" he said, tilting his head curiously. "Now that's interesting. Why is that, Beth? Why have you never had a boyfriend? Did something happen to you? Someone hurt you, Beth? Come on, tell me. Inquiring minds want to know."

She blushed furiously and seethed.

"It's none of your business!" she said quietly.

"I'm making it my business," he said darkly, nipping at her neck.

He took a step back and walked around to face her, considering her. He looked at her thoughtfully for a long moment before speaking.

"I think I'll keep you," he finally said. "As a pet. Take you with me."

Her eyes widened in horror.

"You- You can't! I won't go!"

He grinned.

"You'll go or I'll kill your parents," he said.

Dear God, what could she do? She was helpless. She couldn't be responsible for her parents' deaths, not even her father's. No matter what he did to her at night.

"Fine!" she snapped. "Let me go get my stuff."

"Sure," he said with a triumphant grin. "Just don't take all day. And if you have any more poetry, grab it. It's interesting."

She scowled at him but went back into the house without saying a word.

She couldn't believe this was happening to her. She was being kidnapped and she was going along with it without a word of protest. Not that she had much of a choice.

She packed light, grabbing an extra shirt and jeans, stuffing them into her backpack along with some books, a couple of notebooks for writing and her diary. She had written about the vampire attack in it, how violated she felt, and how it compared with being touched by her father. It was all the same, people using her, hurting her. No one cared. She didn't know why she hadn't just killed herself already.

She packed a package of new razors. She'd no doubt need them on her little adventure with her new vampire friend.

She went into the living room where her mother was passed out on the couch. She watched her mother sleep for a long moment. She looked like her mother. Dark skin and hair, almond-shaped eyes, small, delicate lips, slender body. Her mother was Filipino. Beth had no idea how she'd ended up in Forks. Her mother had never said and she'd never asked.

The alcohol hadn't always been Mrs. Sanderson's god. There was a time when she was like every other mother. Then she'd found out that her husband was cheating on her and it had all gone downhill from there.

Beth bent down and kissed her mother's forehead, then straightened and stared at her. This would very likely be the last time she would ever see her mother. The vampire would no doubt kill her once he got bored with her, which she was sure wouldn't be long.

"Hurry up," she heard the vampire say right behind her.

She jumped, startled, and turned around to find him watching her intently, his head tilted to the side as it often was.

He grinned.

"Did I scare you?" he said with his predator smile.

" _No_ ," she snapped.

His grin widened, showing his teeth.

"Liar," he said teasingly, brushing some of her short hair out of her eyes.

She jerked back.

"Don't touch me!" she said.

His arm was out in a flash, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him, his face inches from hers.

"I do what I want, little girl," he said dangerously, closing the distance between them, kissing her.

She froze, then moaned and leaned against him, pressing her lips back against his. He stilled, obviously surprised, but she didn't notice. She was too wrapped up in the feel of his lips against hers, and she couldn't think about anything else.

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her body flush against his, pushing his tongue into her mouth, ravaging her. His tongue thrust in and out of her mouth, mimicking a dance as old as time. She pushed her tongue against his and their tongues tangled, mating. She didn't even notice that her mother was right there in the room with them.

And then he wasn't there anymore, holding her up, and she fell backwards, landing on her ass. It hurt enough to jar her back into reality.

He was standing by the back door, his chest heaving with his breathing, watching her, his eyes almost black. There was silence for a long time.

"This is an interesting development," he finally said, his breath evening out, his eyes full of curiosity and interest.

She couldn't believe she had kissed him. The reality of it just wouldn't sink in, wouldn't penetrate her mind. How could she have kissed him? She hated everything he stood for. She hated him. How could this be happening to her? How could he pull that kind of knee-jerk reaction out of her body with the touch of his lips? Her father had been trying for years and all he'd gotten was a cold, dead stare.

He was watching her like she was candy, his favorite kind. Like she was some kind of delicious treat. She supposed to him she was.

The thought of dying didn't disturb her, not the way kissing him had, the feel of his lips burning a fire through her veins. She wanted him, even as she hated him. She hated herself for that.

"You liked that," he said curiously. "You practically jumped me. Fascinating for a girl who's never had a boyfriend."

"I- I didn't mean to- I-"

She couldn't even speak properly. His beauty was distracting her, the way his toned muscles showed through his jacket, the way his hair shined in the dim light, the way his eyes danced with interest and mirth.

"Of course you didn't," he said with a grin. "You hate me. That's what makes this so interesting. I think I want to keep you now more than ever, just to see how far you'll go if I push you. _Fascinating_. This is a completely different kind of hunt."

"I'm not a toy for you to play with," she said, trying to sound angry. It didn't come across quite as convincing as she would have liked.

His grin widened and it was obvious to her that he was greatly amused by her dilemma.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's go meet Laurent and Victoria."

"Who?" she said irritably.

"You'll see," he said, still grinning.

She got up and grabbed her backpack, ignoring his extended hand as she passed him. He grabbed her arm hard, his grip like a vice, forcing her to look at him.

"When I want you to hold my hand, you'll hold it," he said dangerously, his grin and all amusement gone. "If I want to kiss you, you'll be kissed. If I want to _fuck_ you, you'll be fucked. Are you beginning to get the pattern here? You _belong to me_ now. I _own_ you. You're my pet and if I want you to hold my hand while we walk, you'll do it without hesitation or I'll break your _fucking_ hand. Do we understand each other, Beth?"

She looked at him hatefully, biting her lip until it bled to keep in the anger. She wasn't confused anymore, just angry and full of despair. Tears of anger and frustration at her helplessness filled her eyes but she blinked them back.

He gripped her arm tighter until she knew there'd be finger-shaped bruises where he gripped her later.

"I said, do we understand each other?" he said, nuzzling her cheek.

"Yes," she muttered darkly, not looking at him but not pulling away either. She knew better now. He'd hurt her without hesitation if she stepped so much as a toe out of line. She couldn't believe she'd kissed him.

"Good," he said with a triumphant smile. "Then let's go."

He released her arm but took her hand tightly in his. It wasn't tight enough to hurt, but it made the point that if she tried to pull away he'd hurt her. She didn't try.


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 3: "Victoria."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

The walk wasn't too long, maybe a half hour at a slow, human pace but James enjoyed it and didn't mind going slow. He enjoyed the feel of her warm hand in his, even if she didn't grip his hand back. Her scent was intoxicating, heady and very human. Her fear and anger sweetened the scent.

He watched her carefully while they walked. She refused to look at him, which irritated him, but she'd get used to being his pet soon enough and learn to please him willingly. Her resentment bothered him, though he wasn't sure why. There had been something about the free, trusting way she'd approached him in the forest three days ago that had kept him from killing her. He wasn't sure why her trust appealed to him, but the idea of anyone trusting him, especially a human, was interesting. He'd make her trust him again, just to see if he could. She'd rely on him for everything. He wanted to give her things to see if she would smile for him. Her smile was an interesting thing. He remembered it from the forest. Small but all over her face, in her eyes and on her lips, lighting up her features. He remembered the way her eyes had sparkled with interest and curiosity when she first saw him. It was remarkable, even if she was just a pathetic human.

He had her poetry in his jacket and was tempted to pull it out and start reading it aloud to see how she'd react. She'd probably be furious. He grinned at the thought of her pathetic, helpless human anger. He didn't know why she bothered getting angry. There was nothing she could do.

When James and Beth got to the place he'd left Victoria and Laurent, the two other vampires were lounging about on the ground. Beth seemed surprised by them and he grinned. She was so utterly human it was hard not to laugh outright at her reactions.

Victoria looked over lazily at Beth, then smiled a feral smile.

"You brought dinner," Victoria said, getting up and flitting over to the human.

"Not exactly," he said, pulling Victoria away, who was licking her lips.

Victoria turned to him with a frown.

"What do you mean?" she said, confused.

"Beth," he said, keeping his hand gripping Victoria's arm, "is my new pet. I'll feed her, clothe her, and she'll go with us wherever we go."

Victoria's frown deepened.

"I don't like it, James," she said, glaring at Beth, who backed up a step. "We don't keep humans, we eat them."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun," he said, rubbing Victoria's arms seductively. "She's utterly fascinating."

"What's so fascinating about a human?" Victoria said, practically snarling.

"Come on, baby," he said, putting on the charm. "She'll be fun to have around and when we're done with her we can kill her, drink her dry. You can even kill her if you want when it's time."

This seemed to mollify Victoria somewhat because her expression softened and she put her arms around James' neck.

"Alright, baby," she purred against his lips. "Whatever you want."

"The two of you make me sick," Beth spat with disgust.

Victoria rounded on Beth and backhanded her. Beth flew back and her back hit a tree.

James felt furious. He could have ripped Victoria's throat out, but as it was he settled for flitting over to Beth to see if she was still alive. She was breathing but unconscious.

He picked her up and carried her to a large patch of moss and laid her on it to make her more comfortable. There was a large red mark on her face where Victoria had hit her. It would bruise badly later. He was surprised her skull was still intact. Victoria must not have hit her very hard.

"Leave her, James, and come play with me," Victoria purred seductively.

"Not right now, Victoria," he snapped.

She pouted but went to sit down next to Laurent who still hadn't said anything.

"Keeping a human will only slow us down, James," Laurent said. "Are you sure it's wise?"

"I'm the leader of this coven, and I say she goes with us," James said darkly as he smoothed Beth's short black hair away from her face.

"Very well, James," Laurent said boredly, laying his head down. "But I won't help take care of her."

James sighed. Sometimes being in a coven was inconvenient. If he'd been on his own he wouldn't have Victoria and Laurent bothering him about his new human toy. Sometimes it was just easier to be alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 4: "Dubious Consent."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. WARNING: This chapter contains dubious consent!**

Beth woke up to the sounds of the forest. She recognized them well. She spent almost all of her time in the forest.

There was a horrible pain throughout her entire body, especially the left side of her face.

She opened her eyes and found her vampire watching her across from her. The other two weren't around.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, sitting up with a groan.

"I told her not to hit you anymore," he said, watching her movements carefully. "Only I can do that."

"That's comforting," she said snidely.

He chuckled.

"You've got spirit, I'll give you that," he said. "You're not very smart, but you've got spirit. Do you need to eat?"

"Yeah," she said, gingerly touching the injured side of her face. It hurt. Badly. "Where do you plan on getting food? I'm not eating your leftovers."

He smirked.

"I know how to feed a human," he said. "I'll go into town, buy some food."

"You have money?" she asked doubtfully.

"I inherited a lot before I became a vampire," he said casually. "I invested it wisely and now I have more than I know what to do with."

"Then why do you live in a forest?"

"I prefer the woods," he said with a shrug.

"So do I, but not for living in," she said. "Don't you want a house with a bed, somewhere nice?"

"My way of life makes that impossible," he said, ripping weeds out of the earth.

"Isn't there some way to control that?" she asked. "I mean, that would be seriously fucked up is there weren't."

"Some vampires feed on animals but if you ask me all that humanity shit is for the birds," he said, tossing the weeds away from him.

"Why would you choose to live like this if there was another way?" she said, confused. "Why would anyone want to live like this?"

"Because I _enjoy_ it," he said with a feral grin. "It's _fun_. I love it."

She shook her head in disbelief.

"I feel _sorry_ for you," she said genuinely.

He stopped grinning and snarled at her.

"I don't want your pity!" he said, and before she knew what was happening, he was on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He pinned her wrists above her head, straddling her hips.

He stared down at her for a long moment, their eyes locked, hers wide with fright, his narrowed in curiosity. She couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. All she could do was stare up at his beautiful face and wonder what he was going to do to her.

He leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, his skin cold against hers. He breathed deeply, taking in her scent. She wondered what she smelled like to him. Probably like a buffet.

"God, you smell so good," he said. "It's almost unbearable not to drink you dry right now. You're just so tempting, so utterly delicious."

He licked his lips after he said this, sending a chill through her body. He grinned and nuzzled her neck, nipping at the skin lightly.

Desire shot through her body as he nibbled her neck. She couldn't help it. He was just so beautiful and what he was doing just felt so good. He licked a trail up her neck, sending delicious shivers through her body. His hands trailed down from her wrists to her forearm to her shoulders, and then his hands were over her breasts, kneading them, squeezing them, making her tremble and moan.

Her hands stayed above her head. She couldn't move. All she could do was feel.

A voice in the back of her head told her to fight, to struggle, to do _something_ to stop him, even if it was futile.

"Please, stop," she whimpered.

"Why?" he asked with a chuckle. "Do you think I can't tell how much you like it? You think I can't smell how wet you are for me?"

She blushed furiously and started pushing him away but he merely pinned her wrists again with one hand, using the other to go under her shirt and bra, and massage her bare breasts.

She whimpered when his cold fingers pinched her nipple, and moisture pooled between her legs. She ached between her thighs for him, wanted him to touch her there so badly, wanted him to fuck her until she screamed, wanted him to do things to her that no other guy had ever done to her before.

God, she was so wet. He could smell it on her, could tell by the way she arched her back against his hand and whimpered as he rolled her nipple between his fingers. He imagined his eyes were black by now from desire. He'd never fucked a human, at least not since he'd been human himself. The idea of burying his cock in her wet heat was so appealing to him that he nearly took her right then and there. But he knew he was pushing her too fast. He wanted to seduce her, not rape her. She wasn't willing enough yet that she wouldn't hate him for it later. He wanted her to be willing and she hadn't said yes yet. In fact, she'd asked him to stop and pushed him away. He wanted her begging for it, begging him to fuck her. When she was begging before he'd even touched her somewhere intimate, then he'd fuck her. For now, he'd just get her off so he could watch.

He flicked open the button of her jeans and pulled down the zipper. He shimmied them down her hips with one hand, his other occupied by keeping her wrists pinned. When they were pooled around her feet and she was left in just her underwear, he slipped his hand into her panties.

She was watching him. He could see her chest heave with her uneven breathing, her eyes dilated and wide as he pushed his fingers against her folds. She instinctively spread her legs, throwing her head back as he touched her clit with his cold fingers. She gasped at the sensation and he grinned, watching her with eager eyes. Her reactions were so fascinating. He could spend all day watching her.

He slipped a finger inside her. She was so utterly soaked and he'd barely touched her. It was intoxicating to know he could make her body react to him like this.

He curled his finger inside and she moaned loudly. Her hips thrust against his hand wildly and her head tossed from side to side. He must have hit the right spot. He grinned. He was good at this, but he liked seeing her react to him so wantonly.

"Please!" she begged.

"Please what?" he said, teasing her clit with his thumb as his finger curled inside her again. He let go of her hands to see what she would do.

"Oh God!" she said, fisting her hands in her hair and closing her eyes in pleasure. " _Please!_ "

He added another finger, thrusting them in and out of her slowly. She obviously wasn't used to this and he loved that he was the first one to ever touch her like this. He fucked her with his fingers, adding a third finger to her, stretching her until it no doubt hurt but she never complained. In fact, she begged, pleaded and screamed. But she never asked him to stop.

When she began to sob he knew she was coming apart. He felt her convulse around him, her insides squeezing him tightly and the feeling was bliss to him. She came with a scream so loud he would be surprised if everyone in the Olympic Peninsula didn't hear her. He grinned as she came down from her high, panting and whimpering as he continued finger fucking her to keep it going as long as he could. He finally stopped when he felt the last of her muscles clenching his fingers.

He watched her as she tried to control her breathing, her eyes hazy and dilated completely, hardly any iris left. She was so lovely and fragile, so completely his, but it wasn't enough. He wanted more, he wanted to fuck her, own her, break her. He owned her but he wanted more than that. He wanted her soul. He wanted her to be willing to do anything he said without hesitation, even kill for him.

She looked up at him, her eyes confused and searching. He leaned down to kiss her but she turned her head away at the last moment. He frowned. That was no way to behave after he'd just gotten her off.

"Now, now," he purred in her ear. "Don't be ungrateful."

"What are you doing to me?" she whispered, sounding frightened and vulnerable.

He grinned.

"Only what you were begging me to do," he said, nipping her cheek as tears ran down her face.

He frowned when he realized she was crying. Why was she crying anyway? She should have been thanking him. He'd just given her mind blowing pleasure and she was crying. Why? Humans didn't make any sense.

He licked a tear off her face and removed his fingers from her pussy and brought them to his lips. He put them in his mouth and he knew she was watching him from the corner of her eye. She swallowed thickly as he tasted her on his fingers. He groaned at the flavor, sweet and musky.

"God, you taste better than I imagined," he said.

"Stop it," she said. "Just stop it."

"No, I don't think I will," he said, sucking on his fingers with a hum of delight. "Mmm, delicious. Almost better than your blood."

More tears spilled from her eyes and she sobbed, though he could tell she was trying not to.

He frowned. He didn't like her to cry unless he gave her a reason to, and as far as he was concerned he hadn't yet.

"Why are you crying?" he demanded, grabbing her face and making her look at him.

"You violated me!" she yelled in his face.

"You were begging for it!" he shouted angrily.

"I was begging you to stop!" she said.

"Liar!" he snarled.

"Don't you snarl at me!" she snapped.

"I'll do what I want and you'll know your place or I'll break your neck!"

"Go ahead!" she cried. "I'd rather die than let you touch me again!"

"Really?" he said darkly, shoving his hand down her panties again, thrusting his fingers inside her roughly.

"Oh!" she gasped.

"I'll make you scream and beg and plead to make me touch you!" he said.

And she did.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 5: "Getting Rid of Victoria."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

Beth didn't feel violated. She felt sated, desired, wanted and unwillingly grateful but not violated. She had never felt so good, not even when she had pleasured herself. She felt ashamed of herself for her slutty behavior, for begging, for giving in to him, but it hadn't been like when her father touched her. It had been wholly pleasurable, intense and good beyond words.

He had forced her to lay in his arms after he'd gotten her off again. She laid on his chest for hours it seemed, both of them silent, when Victoria had come back from hunting. She had frozen when she saw them together and Beth knew she was in trouble.

"What the hell are you doing?" Victoria had snarled.

"Teaching her a lesson," he had said.

"You need to cuddle with her to teach her a lesson?" Victoria demanded angrily.

"Let me handle the human in my own way, Victoria," he said irritably.

Victoria had said nothing more but the glare she gave Beth let Beth know she was in serious trouble should she ever found herself alone with Victoria.

James had continued to hold her until Laurent came back.

"We'd better get moving," James said as thunder rolled.

"Is it going to rain?" Beth asked.

"No, just thunder and some lightening," he said. "Why, you afraid of getting _wet?_ "

The innuendo was obvious in the way he said it, his voice dripping with seduction.

"I'm hungry," she said, ignoring his dirty remark. "You never got me food."

"We'll get you something on the way," James said, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him. "Come on, hop on my back. I'll carry you."

"No way," she said. "I can walk."

"Not as fast as us," he said irritably. "You're not going to slow us down. Now hop on."

Hesitantly she put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, her backpack slung over her back. He started flitting and the wind rushed by, burning her open eyes as they went at inhuman speeds. Her adrenaline started pumping and she felt wild and free and completely alive. It was miraculous what it did to her. She completely forgot to be angry with him in her wild enjoyment of flitting.

He stopped and she clung to him breathlessly.

"What do you think?" he said.

"I love it!" she cried enthusiastically.

He chuckled.

"You really are something," he said, flitting again.

There was a loud crack of what Beth thought was thunder and he stopped.

"What was that?" Victoria asked from behind Beth and James.

"Others like us," Laurent said.

"Let's go see what they're up to," James said, flitting again.

They flitted for a few moments then stopped near the edge of the forest. He put her down and turned to her.

"Stay here," he said firmly. "I'll be back in a while."

"Fine," she said irritably, folding her arms.

"Don't _move_ from this spot or I'll break your femur, which just happens to be the most painful bone in the human body to break," he said. "If you try to run I'll torture you slowly and then I'll make you watch as I kill your parents, and then I'll kill you."

"I said fine," she said with a sneer.

"Come on," Victoria said impatiently.

James hesitated then walked out of the woods.

He didn't like leaving her. It was too easy for her to run. He would catch her if she did but that wasn't the point. He didn't like the idea of leaving her, even for a minute. There was something intoxicating about being around her and he didn't want to lose that feeling, even for a second.

He walked out into the clearing and saw them, others like them, eight of them. Most of them were blonde but there were two brunettes and a boy with bronze hair. James, Laurent and Victoria walked up to them.

"Hello," Laurent said. "We heard you playing ball. Could you use three more players?"

"Two of ours were just leaving," a blonde man of about twenty-three said, obviously the leader. "So yes, we'd be happy to have you."

The wind shifted and he caught the human's scent.

"You brought a snack," James said with a feral grin, crouching into an attack position.

The bronze-haired boy pushed the human behind him and all the vampires crouched into defensive positions.

"Don't you even think about it, you monster!" Beth shouted some distance behind him.

He turned and he saw her striding towards him angrily.

She hadn't stayed where he'd told her. The disobedience angered him but not as much as the danger she was in. The other vampires outnumbered his coven. He didn't know if he could protect her should they decide to attack.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded as she stopped right in front of him.

"You were going to kill that girl!" she accused.

"It's none of your business!" he said angrily. "Why didn't you stay where I told you?"

"Because you don't own me!" she shouted furiously in his face.

"Yes, I do!" he shouted back, grabbing her forearms and shaking her a little. "How dare you disobey me!"

"Why don't you just kill me and get it over with!" she screamed.

She was so beautiful when she was angry, so utterly, humanly beautiful. So fragile and perfect, so wonderful. He didn't mean to kiss her but before he knew it his lips were on hers and he was drinking her in.

Victoria snarled and attacked. James just barely managed to move Beth in time, jerking her behind him so hard he dislocated her arm. He heard her scream but he was too focused on Victoria. He crouched in front of Beth, ready to attack should Victoria try to go for Beth again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Victoria snarled.

"Protecting what's mine," he said, his teeth bared, ready to kill her if necessary.

"She's a human, James!" Victoria yelled. "You can't kiss her when we're together!"

"I can do what I want and if that's the way you're going to be then we're not together anymore," he said dangerously.

Her eyes widened.

"You can't mean that!" she cried. "Not over this human!"

"I can mean it and I do," he said angrily.

"I'll kill her!" Victoria said furiously. "I swear it!"

"I'd like to see you try!" he said.

"Believe me, I will!" she said.

"Not here and not now," the blonde man said, crouching down into an attack position, the other vampires following his lead.

James grinned at Victoria. She was outnumbered.

She howled in fury.

"I think you'd better leave before I decide to kill you," he said with a feral smile.

She glared at him but turned and flitted away.

James turned back to Beth and flitted to her. She was lying on her back, nursing her dislocated shoulder, tears streaming down her face.

"Beth," he said, taking her in his arms.

She cried out in pain as the movement jostled her arm.

The blonde man stepped forward and kneeled by Beth.

"I can help," he said. "I'm a doctor."

"Fix it," James demanded.

The man turned to Beth.

"This is going to hurt quite a lot I'm afraid," he said. "Hold your friend's hand and squeeze as hard as you need to."

James took her hand in his and she squeezed it, obviously in pain.

"My name's Carlisle Cullen," the blonde man said, taking hold of her bad arm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Beth, even under these circumstances."

He wrenched the arm and she screamed as he popped it back in. She screamed and moaned for several minutes after.

"You're doing a good job," Carlisle said. "Just hang in there, the pain will get better.

A pain went through James' chest at the noises she made. She was in so much pain. Why wasn't he laughing and enjoying it? Why did he feel like someone had ripped off his arm instead?

"Oh!" the girl with dark, short hair said, hand going to her head.

"Alice, is it a vision?" the bronze-haired boy asked.

"He'll love her," Alice said. "She'll love him. It's tragic. She dies. We can't let her die!"

Alice shook her head clear and looked around dazedly, her eyes landing on James and Beth, who was still squeezing his hand.

"James, you have to take her far away!" Alice said desperately. "It's the only way to stop Victoria from killing her!"

"What?" he said. "What do you mean? You can't have meant us. I'm not going to fall in love with a pathetic human!"

"You will," Alice said. "And she'll fall in love with you. You have to save her! You have to keep moving!"

Beth looked horrified.

"I'll never love him!" she cried. "I hate him!"

The words rang through him like a gong, and when she snatched her hand away his heart constricted painfully. Why did it hurt to know she would never love him?

"You don't know what James is like," Laurent said. "He could never love a human."

"You won't be around to find out," James said. "I'm leaving with Beth and you're not coming with us."

"As you wish it, James," Laurent said. "I have no wish to be involved with someone who's crossed Victoria anyway. I'll say goodbye then."

Laurent flitted away, leaving James with Beth and the Cullens.

He couldn't believe he'd just banished the only two people he had in his coven over a human. But she wasn't just any human. She was Beth. She was special. Interesting. Fascinating. Beautiful.

James picked Beth up and rose, and she groaned in pain at the movement.

"Thank you," James said to Carlisle. "That's more than I give most people."

"You're welcome," Carlisle said, rising also. "If you want her off your hands we can take her. We'd be happy to have her."

"No, she's mine," James said too quickly, holding her tighter.

Carlisle smiled understandingly.

"Perhaps you're fonder of her than you realize," he said.

"I very much doubt that," Beth said irritably.

"Take care of that arm," Carlisle said. "Come back if you need anything. We keep a permanent residence nearby."

"Again, thank you," James said, turning and flitting away.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 6: "The Consequences of Disobedience."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Theme song for this chapter is Monster by Skillet. Review please!**

Beth fell asleep while James was flitting them somewhere. She woke up in a motel room. James was sitting in a chair next to the bed, watching her, his fists clenching the arm rests.

"You disobeyed me," he said dangerously. "You could have been killed."

He was very angry, she could tell. His voice was low, a threat in and of itself.

"I- I'm sorry," she said, backing up on the bed, afraid.

"Come here," he said darkly.

She hesitated.

"Don't make me come and get you," he said dangerously, his eyes narrowed.

She crawled toward him on the bed and went to stand in front of him. He reached out and grabbed her left wrist, rubbing his thumb over her pulse point, no doubt feeling the blood pumping beneath the skin.

"I told you there would be punishment for disobedience," he said quietly. "Did you not believe me?"

"I believed you," she said softly, knowing that what was coming would be bad. What would he break first? Her wrist? Her femur? How bad would the torture be?

"You brought this on yourself," he said darkly, snapping her wrist with a flick of his own.

She screamed and her knees went out from under her but he caught her before she fell, pulling her into his lap.

Why did that scream tear through him like a knife? Why hadn't he enjoyed inflicting pain on her like he would have had she been any other human? He'd tortured humans before for fun before. Why did it bother him now? Why did the little noises of pain and suffering make him want to vomit?

He cradled her in his arms while she cried.

"Shh," he said softly. "I'll fix it. I'll fix it."

But she didn't hear him. She'd passed out from the pain.

He held her for a long time before he moved. He finally laid her on the bed and left. He had some shopping to do.

He hesitated to leave her there, but he doubted she'd be stupid enough to run off after that. Still, there was a sense of loss when he left her there.

He bought a car from the Seattle used car lot. It was an old Dodge truck from the 80's but it suited his purposes. She wouldn't be up to much walking in the condition she was in. He was all too aware of her human frailty.

He couldn't believe he hadn't enjoyed hurting her. It was completely unlike him. He was sadistic, cruel, perhaps even evil. He enjoyed hurting people, at least normally. He didn't know what was wrong with him but he couldn't shake what Alice had said. He refused to believe he would ever fall in love with a human. Hell, he didn't even know if he was capable of love.

For the first time, he actually felt like the monster he was. How could he willingly hurt someone so delicate and fragile, someone who depended on him so completely? Maybe that was the difference. She depended on him. She needed him, wanted him even, at least physically.

He shook his head as he bought a wrist brace and some over the counter pain relievers. Tylenol was all they had. He wanted something stronger for her but that had to be prescribed and there was no way he was taking her to a doctor.

He bought some human food. He didn't know what she liked so he just grabbed her a pizza from Dominos. He needed to feed himself so he lured a human into an alley with a sob story about his pregnant girlfriend giving birth and drank him dry. It was good but somehow less satisfying than it was the last time he fed. He couldn't imagine why.

She was awake when he got back, huddled in the corner on the bed, clutching her wrist to her body like he'd come back and break it again. He frowned. Somehow it wasn't satisfying to know that she was afraid of him.

"Does it hurt?" he asked. It was a stupid question, he realized after he said it. It was broken, of course it hurt.

She didn't answer, just watched him with haunted eyes that spoke her fear. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He felt tired, emotionally drained. She confused him, made him feel things that were best left alone. He should have killed her right then and there to put a stop to it but he really didn't want to. He liked playing with her, his new doll. The problem was that she wasn't really a doll and she affected him.

He laid the bags on the floor and fished out the wrist brace and Tylenol, and moved over to the bed. She curled in on herself, away from him. He grabbed her ankle to pull her to him and she flinched. He frowned. She'd done a lot of things when he'd touched her but she'd never flinched. She'd begged for him to touch her more, she'd screamed in pleasure, she'd sighed and moaned, but she'd never flinched. She wasn't all that afraid of him and he thought he didn't like that but now he was beginning to realize that he liked that she didn't shy away from his touch, run and scream and hide when he wanted to touch her. There was a novelty about it that he quite liked.

"I'm not going to hurt you again unless you make me," he said softly, trailing his hand up her calf.

She put an arm over her head to hide her face so she wouldn't have to look at him, or so he wouldn't be able to look at her, he didn't know which, and he frowned more deeply. He didn't like this. She hadn't been afraid of him before, not like this. It was like she was shutting down on him. He didn't like it. He hated it, in fact.

He climbed onto the bed and pushed her onto her back, forcing her to uncurl herself. She wouldn't look at him though. He grabbed her face gently and made her look at him.

"Hey," he said firmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You already did," she whispered bitterly.

Somehow he thought this ran deeper than just him breaking her wrist. She seemed to feel betrayed, like she'd trusted him not to hurt her or something. The idea was preposterous. She knew what he was, what he did. She couldn't possibly think she would be an exception. But wasn't she though? An exception? Wasn't she different to him than any human he'd ever met? The thought irritated him. He pushed it away and focused on her.

She was watching him with sad, haunted eyes. The look on her face pulled on the dying remains of his conscience. Still, there was anger there too. Just a touch of it but enough to show. It pleased him that he hadn't broken her completely.

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, sucking on the skin. She gasped, whether in surprise or pleasure he didn't know. All he knew was that he had to get her to come back to him, for her to come out of that shell she was building around herself.

He nipped at her collarbone and she moaned, her right hand going to his hair, the other laying limply by her head. He palmed her breasts, massaging them until he could feel her nipples hardening through her thin tank top. He wished he could fuck her. She would be sore and bruised and he might break another one of her bones but it would be wonderful to feel her warm, wet heat surrounding him. He wouldn't just yet though. He needed to gain her trust back before he could properly seduce her.

He brought his lips to hers, capturing her bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling it playfully, then sucking on it. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, tasting her sweetness, taking in her delicious scent. He was hard already and she hadn't even touched him. His jeans felt uncomfortably tight as he kissed her, ravaging her mouth. Her moans weren't lost on him.

He continued kissing and touching her for some time before he finally laid down next to her, his fingers trailing down her hip. He kissed her neck, which she hesitantly bared to him and he splayed his hand across her stomach, which was bare now that her shirt had ridden up. He could smell how wet she was for him, her desire permeating the air in the small hotel room. It was intoxicating.

"You ready to let me put that wrist brace on now?" he said.

She didn't answer at first and he was about to tell her to answer him when she nodded slowly. He sat up on the bed and grabbed the wrist brace, opening the packaging and tossing it on the floor. She sat up too, bracing herself on her right arm. He gently took the left one and put the wrist brace around it, very aware of the tears of pain falling from her eyes.

He closed up the wrist brace and grabbed the Tylenol. He opened the bottle and took out two pills like the directions said and gave them to her. He shimmied down the bed and grabbed a water bottle from one of the bags, opening it and holding it out to her. She popped the pills and took the water bottle, drinking from it slowly. She swallowed the pills and took a few more sips before handing it back. He took it, capped it and laid it on the bed next to her, getting up. He stretched and took his jacket off, laying it on the back of the chair, which he moved to sit in front of the tv. He grabbed the remote and flicked it on.

"Relax," he said. "Take a nap if you need to. We're leaving in the morning."

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"I don't actually know yet," he said casually, flicking through the channels until he found the news. "I haven't decided yet. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know," she said. "Europe?"

"I could do that," he said, eyes still on the tv.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw how sad she looked. He wished she would smile like she had the first moment he'd met her. That brilliant, sparkling smile. It was so beautiful, he remembered.

He leaned over and took a book from one of the bags and tossed it on the bed in front of her.

" _The Tempest_ ," she read from the cover. "By Shakespeare. I haven't read this one."

She was smiling slightly as she looked at the cover which had a picture of a ship in a storm on it. It wasn't the brilliant, breathtaking smile he remembered but it would do until he could get her something better and win her over.


	7. Chapter 7

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 7: "The Sonnet."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Review please!**

Beth watched him watching tv for a while before picking up the book. It wasn't until he turned the tv up that she heard he was watching the six o'clock news.

" _Today on KTAY, we delve into the story of a missing girl, one Beth Sanderson, and her heartbroken parents_ ," the anchorman said, a picture of Beth's school ID on the screen next to his head. Beth looked up and watched the tv with interest. " _Beth went missing around four o'clock this afternoon but it wasn't discovered until little more than a half hour ago. If you have seen this girl then please call the number on this screen. Next, we'll be interviewing her parents._ "

Her mother and father came on screen in front of her house. Her mother was weeping and it was obvious that she was still drunk from the way she swayed on her feet. Her father had to hold her still.

" _When did you first notice that Beth was missing, Mrs. Sanderson?_ " the reporter asked Beth's mother.

" _Around four_ ," Mrs. Sanderson slurred, sobbing. " _She hadn't started dinner yet so I went to find her and she was gone! Her backpack was missing!_ "

" _Do you think she's been kidnapped or is she a runaway?_ "

" _She would never run away!_ " Mrs. Sanderson cried. " _She's a good girl! She would never leave me! Oh, I know someone took her, someone took my baby!_ "

Beth's mother burst into a fresh wave of tears and the microphone went to Mr. Sanderson.

" _What do you think, Mr. Sanderson?_ "

" _I think someone took my little girl_ ," Mr. Sanderson said darkly. " _The law will find them and they'll be punished to the full extent of the law. Please, if anyone has seen Beth, call the hotline_. _We just want our little girl back._ "

The shot cut back to the reporter.

" _This is Brian Ford coming to you from Forks, Washington_ ," he said. " _Back to you, Del._ "

The shot cut back to the anchorman.

" _Once again, please call the hotline if you've seen Beth_ ," Del said. " _Next on KTAY-_ "

The tv was muted and she sat in stunned silence while her vampire watched her. She still didn't know what his name was. He'd finger fucked her and she didn't even know his name. She could have laughed at the absurdity of it.

"So how does it feel to be a celebrity?" he said with a smirk. "We've really made it big. Soon you'll be on CNN."

"You're an ass," she said, not caring if he broke her other wrist. Her mother had been weeping. She hated him for that.

He grinned at her.

"That's not nice," he said lightly.

"Probably not but it's how I feel," she said tiredly, running her right hand through her hair.

"Fair enough," he said. "You hungry? I got pepperoni pizza."

"Yeah," she said.

He handed her the box and she opened it. The pizza was still hot and for takeout it was pretty damn good, especially since she was starving. It was a small pizza and she ate most of it. Eating was such a normal thing that she almost asked him if he wanted any. When he was being nice it was hard to remember he was a psychotic vampire who'd broken her wrist with a flick of his hand, but the pain of it never let her forget for long and she was sure that's exactly what he wanted. All she had to do was move and needles of pain shot through her entire arm, starting at her fingertips.

She didn't know why he'd bought her the book. If she didn't know better she would have thought it was to make up for breaking her wrist. But she did know better. He was a cold blooded killer. He didn't feel remorse for the things he did. He was probably just trying to lure her into a false sense of security so it would be more of a surprise when he killed her, making it more fun for him.

She couldn't believe that girl had said she would fall in love with him. It was preposterous, absolutely the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. As if she could ever love that monster! And he was, without a doubt, a monster.

Her vampire friend watched her brood for a while before he spoke.

"I didn't enjoy hurting you," he said finally.

She scoffed.

"Somehow I doubt that," she said scathingly.

"I can understand why you would feel that way," he said with a casual shrug. "Normally I do enjoy hurting humans. It's part of my predator nature I guess, or maybe I'm just sadistic. But this time I didn't enjoy it."

He sounded angry now, as if that was somehow her fault.

"I didn't like those noises you made, the screaming," he said darkly, his eyes fixed on her but he wasn't there. He was remembering. "The screaming, the moaning. I didn't like it."

"Forgive me for reacting to my broken wrist," she snapped. "I didn't mean to throw you off."

He growled at her, his attention shifting from his memory to her.

"Why are you so frustrating?" he demanded.

"Why are you so sadistic and cruel?" she said hotly.

Then he was above her, pinning her to the bed, his hips on hers. He ground his groin into hers and she moaned.

He grinned.

"Not so tough now, are you?" he said.

He had her pinned by the shoulders but he moved one hand between their bodies to rub her sex through her jeans. She moaned again and her hips bucked, begging for more friction.

"You like that, Beth?" he asked with a naughty grin. "Come on, baby, tell me how much you like it."

Her answer was a moan.

He leaned down until his lips brushed her ear.

"You like poetry, right?" he whispered, inhaling her scent. "Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments. Love is not love which alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken; it is the star to every wandering bark, who's worth's unknown, although his height be taken."

He continued rubbing her clit through her jeans as he recited the poem in her ear, her loud moans filling the room.

"Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come," he continued, rubbing harder, getting her closer. "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

What he was doing to her, the sound of his voice emanating from him, was so hot that she came with a cry, clutching him with her good hand. Her back arched and her toes curled as she came, getting so loud it was a surprise that someone didn't bang on the door, telling them to shut up.

He kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with her own. She lazily pushed her tongue against his, putting her hand on his neck, pulling his mouth tighter against hers. He pulled back and grinned at her, and she watched him, feeling boneless and utterly sated.

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of your reactions," he said. "I may just have to keep you forever."

"Forever is a long time," she said slowly.

"How long do humans usually live?" he asked, ignoring her statement. "About ninety years, right? That gives me a while to get bored with you. I should be tired of you by then-"

She leaned up and kissed him, silencing him. She didn't want to talk about it. She just wanted to feel.

He broke the kiss and laid down next to her on his side, laying his thigh over hers and palming her breast.

"Mmmm," she said, stretching out luxuriously, careful of her wrist which still hurt like hell. "Feels so nice…"

"You like that?" he said, nuzzling her neck. "There's always more where that came from."

"Mm," she said tiredly, curling up against him. She was too tired to fight it anymore. She'd hate him later.

She fell asleep wrapped in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 8: "Making Love."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Review please! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

James watched her sleep. She was incredible. So wanton and wild when he touched her. It was mesmerizing. In all honesty though he was just glad she wasn't flinching anymore.

He felt her warmth, her human heat, and felt warm for the first time in his vampire life. She was curled up against him, her dark, short hair falling in her eyes, her broken wrist laying on vulnerably his chest. She was so vulnerable to him, so easily broken. All he had to do was reach out and he could snap her lovely neck like a twig. And yet she had curled up against him without hesitation. She was so trusting it was almost laughable. Only he didn't feel like laughing. He felt like reaching out and brushing her hair out of her eyes, and he did, his fingers trailing down her jaw to her lips, the same lips he'd kissed so many times before. Why did they still hold interest for him? Why did he still want to take them with his own, to hear her moan as he ravaged her mouth? Why wasn't he bored already? Why was he more intrigued than ever?

"So lovely…" he whispered, his fingers brushing her lips softly. "So human…"

"What's your name?" Beth asked.

It was about twelve that night and she had been up for about an hour but they hadn't said much, just laid in the dark, holding each other.

"James," he said, his fingers brushing the pulse point on her neck. He liked to touch her there.

"James," she said, tasting the name. "It suits you. Do you have a last name?"

"Abel," he said. "Like Cain and Abel."

"Makes sense in a twisted sort of way, except you'd be Cain, and cursed with immortality by God for your sins," she said.

He tensed and growled and she knew if she wasn't careful she'd be in trouble.

"Have you read _Prometheus_ by Lord Byron?" she asked, not smart enough to shut up.

"Yes," he growled.

"Did it remind you of your life? Don't you feel cursed at all?"

"No," he snapped. "Now shut up and go back to sleep."

Neither of them spoke again until morning.

What business did she have, asking him about his immortality? What right did she think she had? He could have lost his temper and killed her. He could have broken her bones into tiny pieces and fed her to dogs. He could have pierced her neck with his teeth and drank her dry. He could have done any number of things to her. She had no sense of self-preservation, no natural fight or flight instinct. She should have been terrified of him after he broke her wrist. That should have proven to her how capable he was of hurting her. And yet she'd still asked him. She was fearless. It was intoxicating to be around someone that brave, even as it was annoying.

He remembered that poem by Lord Byron well. He'd read it over and over again when he'd first been turned, cursing his fate, feeling like he was cursed for eternity. He'd never said anything to anyone, least of all Victoria. He still read _Prometheus_ sometimes when he was feeling down.

 _Titan! to thee the strife was given_

 _Between the suffering and the will,_

 _Which torture where they cannot kill;_

 _And the inexorable Heaven,_

 _And the deaf tyranny of Fate,_

 _The ruling principle of Hate,_

 _Which for its pleasure doth create_

 _The things it may annihilate,_

 _Refus'd thee even the boon to die:_

 _The wretched gift Eternity_

The lines played over and over in his head. Was this his curse? Had he done something in his previous human life to deserve being damned to this fate? Why couldn't he be free of this never ending pain he felt at knowing he was damned to live out eternity on the edge of humanity, only killing them, never knowing the light?

She woke up around ten the next morning and he packed up their things. He had bought her some clothes, which were probably too big for her. He didn't know what she'd brought with her. Probably something human and impractical.

"Go shower and change," he said, handing her the bag of clothes.

She took it without a word and went into the bathroom.

He heard her undress. Heard the clothes hit the floor. It was torture not to go in there and explore her naked body with his hands, mouth and tongue.

She came out soon wearing jeans and a black Skillet t-shirt. They looked good on her and were about the right size. The jeans were a little long but other than that they were tight and fitted to her body in a way that made him lick his lips as he looked her up and down. She blushed and ducked her head at the look he was giving her. He walked over to her, then around to her back. He tied the back of the shirt in a knot up around her midriff like he'd seen on her the first day he met her four days ago.

The mark on her neck was still there. The shirt didn't cover it. He liked it, liked having his mark on what was his.

He splayed his hands across his stomach and she shivered at the cold. She placed her good hand over his and leaned back against him even though her body was tense, but her trust pleased him.

He bit into the side of her neck on the side that wasn't marked, nipping at the skin without breaking it. She moaned a little and relaxed her body. She was so easy, it was almost funny. But he didn't find anything about the bulge in his pants amusing.

He pressed his groin to her ass so she could feel what she did to him. She gasped at what she felt. He could see in the reflection of the window that her eyes were wide and her mouth was open a little. Her hand was still on his, feeling the smooth, cold skin, rubbing it with her own. He loved it, loved the feel of her warmth against him.

"Why did you choose me over Victoria?" she asked suddenly, her hand stilling on his.

"Because you're so much fun to play with," he said with a growl, nipping at her neck.

"You just dumped her," she said, sounding confused. "When's it my turn?"

He really didn't want to talk about this right now.

"Why don't we talk about this some other time?" he said. "Like, never."

"Please answer my question," she said desperately. "I can't stand this, what you're making me feel, when I know that any moment you'll get bored. I know this doesn't mean anything to you, that it's just a game to you, but it's not to me. So when do I die? When do you get tired of me? How long do I have to endure this?"

He swallowed thickly. The thought of her cold, dead body, drained and lifeless, lying on a dirt road somewhere filled his mind in a vision so horrifying to him that he trembled. _Never_ , he thought savagely.

"James?" she said. "Why are you trembling?"

He shook himself out of it. What was he thinking? Of course he would kill her! He had to! She knew too much, she was too volatile to let live, and he absolutely refused to let anyone else have her besides him. He couldn't keep her with him forever. Could he? Did he really want to? _No_ , he thought firmly. He would kill her. But why did that thought send a jolt of pain through his chest?

"James?" she said again, intertwining their fingers.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"Don't ask so many questions," he snapped. "Just go with it. Stop being such a downer."

"Excuse me for having normal human feelings," she snapped back, removing her hand from his.

His heart sank at the loss of contact. He took her hand in his again and she froze. He nipped at her neck, making her sigh and relax a little again. He felt the chills run through her body and he knew they meant pleasure. Her skin got goose bumps and he trailed the fingers of his free hand over the skin over her arm to feel the tiny little bumps.

"Why are you so… _frustrating_ to me?" he whispered in her ear, sucking on the side of her neck.

There were hickeys all over her neck. Between that and the bite mark, she looked utterly claimed, utterly his. He loved it.

"I- I don't know," she said, her voice unsure.

"Well, figure it out," he said dangerously, "and I'll end it."

"'Kay," she said, her voice sounding small.

"Let's go," he said, releasing her.

He moved away from her toward the bed and grabbed the pizza box. He threw it away and it stuck out of the trashcan. He grabbed their stuff, handing her the backpack and book he bought her. He took the rest of the bags, then his eyes fell on the bottle of Tylenol. He dropped the bags and grabbed it from the bed. He took out to capsules and handed them to her with the water bottle.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile.

She was in pain. He could tell from the way she winced whenever she moved. He'd make that up to her later.

And then he smelled it. The blood. His eyes snapped to the crotch of her jeans. It was permeating the air, coming from _down there_. She had just gotten her period. Dear God… He couldn't stand it. She was bleeding into her jeans and didn't even have a clue, just standing there, holding the water bottle like nothing was happening.

He dropped the bags and flitted to her, swinging her up into his arms.

"What-?" she began.

He tossed her on the bed and she bounced on it.

"Just relax," he said, his eyes turning black, his breathing uneven.

He took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, crawling on the bed to position himself over her. He pulled her shirt up and off of her, leaving her in a thin white bra.

"What are you-?" she began again.

He pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.

"Just relax," he said again, swallowing thickly.

He wanted to draw this out, make it last. He would too.

He reached under her and around her back to unhook her bra. He took it off and threw it aside, not caring where it landed. She was lucky he hadn't ripped it off of her.

Her chest was heaving with her breathing. Her breasts were unimpressive but they were beautiful to him, pale and creamy and soft. He cupped them, squeezing lightly. She moaned and her back arched against him, pushing her breasts into his hands. He growled, pleased by her willingness to accept whatever he was doing to her.

He pinched her nipples lightly, tugging them into hardness. She moaned and fisted her good hand into the sheets. He breathed in her scent, her blood, her sweet, human fragrance. _Jasmine_ , he thought. Yes, she smelled of jasmine and honeysuckle.

He lowered his hands to her small waist, loving the feel of the dips of her ribcage. He leaned down and captured a rosy nipple in his mouth. He'd pleasure her while he took her irresistible blood. He'd pleasure her and she'd cry out for him, scream in pleasure.

She gasped as he suckled her, his cock straining in his pants. He wanted to fuck her almost as much as he wanted her blood. But he'd control himself. He wouldn't take her just yet, not completely. He'd tongue-fuck her though, lick her pussy till she screamed, suck on her clit till she begged him to fuck her. Then he'd make her come so hard she'd see stars for a week.

He unbuttoned her jeans slowly, savoring the scent of her anxiety creeping into the scent of her arousal. She didn't know what he intended to do to her. She probably knew she wasn't ready for this. Hell, she was probably terrified. Yes, he could smell her fear. It was there, just on the edge of her arousal and getting stronger every second. It irritated him and made him smile at the same time. Didn't she know to trust him already? He knew what he was doing.

He pulled down the zipper of her jeans and peeled her pants off. He got them off of her along with her shoes. He spread her legs and she blushed. Her underwear was stained with red. He licked his lips and a slow smile spread his lips. She was watching him with wide eyes, her breathing uneven and labored.

He peeled her panties off and brought them to his nose, inhaling deeply. She blushed as he tossed them aside.

"Oh, I got my period," she said with surprising calm, then a look of horror crossed her face. " _Oh!_ The blood… You're- You- I-"

"Shh," he said, bringing his lips to hers in a surprisingly chaste kiss. "Just let me touch you."

Her eyes fluttered closed as she tried to breathe evenly. He watched her struggle with interest. She was so human, her reactions so… pleasing.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead then began trailing kisses down her body. When he came between her legs the scent of her blood was almost unbearable to him.

Her pussy was shaved. That pleased him. He liked a woman who kept herself groomed. Her legs were shaved too. The skin was baby soft and smooth. He ran his hands up her thighs, taking in the contours of her body.

He moved his head to rest between her legs, spreading them with his hands. He licked his dry lips as he took in her pussy, glistening with her arousal and blood. He inhaled deeply, taking in the irresistible scent. He spread her pussy with his fingers, opening her pouting sex to his eyes and mouth. He trailed his tongue against her inner lips and she moaned, her head going back and hitting the pillow.

He licked her more firmly, the sweet taste of her blood tantalizing his tongue. The flavor was incredible. Normal blood but more too, because it was mixed with her sweet, musky arousal. He groaned at the taste. He buried his face in her pussy, completely losing control. He ravaged her with his tongue, lost in the blood and her cries of pleasure.

He drank from her, his tongue going in and out of her. She moaned and panted and cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Please!" she cried. "Please, I can't stand it!"

He was so hard and her blood was so good. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take her just this once. He wanted her so badly and he was never one to deny himself something he truly wanted. And she seemed to want him too from the way she was begging. Maybe if he was very gentle…

He climbed up her body, trailing wet kisses over the smooth expanse of her skin. She was so human and so lovely. He unbuttoned his pants and shimmied them down his hips, kicking them off. He didn't wear underwear so he was left utterly naked when he took them off. She stared at him with wide eyes for a moment before shutting them and raising her hands to fend him off. He pinned them to the bed and she squeaked in pain at the movement of her wrist.

"Don't fight me," he said softly. "I don't want to hurt you."

And he realized for the first time that it was utterly true, that he had no desire to hurt her whatsoever. In fact, he had the urge to protect her from harm. She was his, after all. He protected what was his.

"I can't do this!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "My father- He- He touches me- He- I can't do this!"

Her confession took him utterly by surprise. He hadn't been expecting her to be abused. He figured maybe some boy had gone too far with her and she'd gotten hurt but he never suspected that her father… hurt her. He felt fury first, then sorrow at the loss of her innocence. He should have been her first. He wanted to be her first. Well, he may not have been the first to touch her, but he'd sure as hell be the first one to make love to her. He'd be gentle and considerate, he'd make her scream in pleasure. She wouldn't know what hit her and her father would soon be nothing more than a distant memory.

He lined up his cock with her entrance, pushing the head against her slit to get himself wet with her moisture. She made a sound that was something between a sob and a moan. He eased into her a little, letting her adjust slowly, letting her take just the head of him in. She whimpered at the invasion of her body but didn't fight. Her eyes were tightly shut and her head was turned to the side as if she was trying to block all of this out. That wouldn't do.

He leaned down and nibbled her ear and she moaned a little.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you. We'll take it slow."

He didn't know why he was being so considerate. Maybe because he didn't want her comparing his performance with what her pig of a father had done to her. But he knew that he had to be gentle, even if it took every ounce of his strength and self-control, which it already was.

He pushed in a little further and was stopped by a barrier. Her hymen. He couldn't believe it. He wanted to shout for joy. She was a virgin! He would be her first!

He leaned down and pressed a rough kiss to her lips, and to his surprise, she pressed back gently a little. He pulled back and their eyes locked, hers still wide with panic, his black with desire.

"This is going to hurt," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll try to be gentle."

"Please," she said. "Please…"

"Please what?" he asked.

"I- I don't know," she answered honestly, her breathing more uneven than ever.

"Just let me make love to you," he said, kissing her neck.

There was a long moment of silence before she answered him.

"A- Alright," she said.

He smiled against her neck and held down her hips with his hands. He surged his hips forward and she screamed in agony. He silenced her with a searing kiss. Her right hand came up to his shoulder and gripped it so hard her nails left a mark on the skin.

He gave her a moment to adjust then pushed all the way in. God, she was so hot and tight and wet! It felt so good to be inside her. He could barely reign in control.

He slowly pulled out then pushed back in. She winced but didn't cry out. He leaned his forehead against hers, the feel of her warmth soaking into his icy skin. He was gentle as he fucked her, soft and slow, but soon she was panting and her inner muscles were clenching and it wasn't enough anymore. He thrust faster, still careful not to hurt her.

"Harder," she whimpered. "Please, faster!"

She didn't have to ask him twice. He let his desire for her take over and he began fucking her in earnest, thrusting in and out of her at inhuman speeds. Her moisture and blood coated his cock, making it easy to slide in and out. The pleasure built wave upon wave in them until she came, screaming his name. Her inner muscles clenched him and he groaned. It felt so goddamn good.

His stamina was inhuman so he kept going and going until she came again and again, and finally when she had scratched him and screamed her throat hoarse, he came with a roar, burying his face in her neck, fighting the overpowering urge to bite. He spilled his cold seed inside her and groaned as he came down from his high. For once sex had been better than blood.


	9. Chapter 9

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 9: "Too Much."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, my mom always told me that sex was a huge part of any successful relationship, so there's going to be lots of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Review please!**

Beth laid there with her head against James' chest. He had wrapped her in his arms after they had finished making love, forcing her to lay her head on his chest. She couldn't believe they had made love, that she had been okay with it, hadn't felt dirty and used when he touched her there. In fact, she felt glorious, alive, beautiful, desired, everything she had ever wanted to feel. He had done that for her, and try as she might, she couldn't hate him now, not in a thousand years. The idea of loving him was also not so farfetched as it had been. There was a vague possibility that it might happen if he kept going the way he'd been, and it was a possibility that she'd rather not face since loving James could only lead to heartache.

She wished she could cut. Everything would be so much easier to deal with if she had a razor in her hand. But she somehow doubted that the vampire next to her would take kindly to her cutting. She didn't think he cared, just that he would be irritated that she felt the need to hurt herself because he thought her life was so easy. Her depression seemed to annoy him. She couldn't help it but he didn't really seem the type to care about what was fair and not.

She really needed to pee. And she needed a tampon desperately. She was bleeding all over the bed. She could feel her blood and his cum slick between her thighs. It made her blush and he chuckled.

"Strange time to get all embarrassed, isn't it?" he asked teasingly, running his hand through her short hair.

"I can't help it," she said defensively. "No one's ever done that before."

"I know," he said with a smug sense of satisfaction.

She could practically smell the testosterone emanating from him. She rolled her eyes and he looked down at her.

"I need to use the bathroom," she said. "And I need a tampon. I'm bleeding everywhere."

"Want me to clean you up?" he asked with a smirk.

She blushed to the roots of her hair and smacked his chest. He chuckled.

"I'll get you your fucking tampon," he said lightly, pulling her down for a searing kiss.

She moaned as he ravaged her mouth briefly. The kiss ended and he laid back, putting his hands behind his head.

"You taste amazing," he said, laying back completely naked and proud. "Sweet, like candy. I get a sugar high every time I kiss you."

"Then you should probably stop doing it," she said.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, stretching lazily.

"Because it confuses me," she said petulantly.

"It doesn't confuse me," he said with a grin.

"It wouldn't," she snapped. "You don't have normal human feelings. Hell, I don't know if you have feelings at all!"

He frowned and looked at her.

"Is that what you think?" he said, rolling her onto her back, pinning her naked body with the weight of his own. "That I don't have feelings?"

"Well, how should I know?" she demanded. "If you do have any you never share them, so how should I know what you feel?"

He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes full of displeasure. She was a little afraid, but it was the kind of fear that excited her rather than actually scared her. Maybe she was masochistic. That would explain a lot. Why she got wet at the sound of his dangerous voice, why she still wasn't genuinely afraid of him after he broke her wrist, why she couldn't get enough of him. She was drunk and high on him and it was almost too good to bear.

He finally grabbed her face, careful not to touch the bruise Victoria gave her, and turned her head, licking a long trail up her neck on the side that was marked. She had seen what she looked like when she'd showered and changed her clothes. She looked abused and thoroughly fucked, like someone had raped her savagely. In a way, maybe he had. I mean, she hadn't exactly said yes. Alright, for all intents and purposes she had but that was completely beside the point. And even if she hadn't, she had wanted him. She had been frightened but underneath that she had wanted him desperately. He had quenched the fire he had started within her and now she felt it at a warm soft glow, just embers now. She felt sated and thoroughly owned, and to her dismay she loved it. It had hurt though, so much more than she had expected, but beyond the pain, there was a roaring pleasure that had consumed her.

He pressed his forehead to her pulse point and laid there on top of her for a long time.

"I have feelings," he said softly. "I have a multitude of feelings, and I don't understand half of them."

He was confiding in her and she knew it. She knew better than to reject him, not that she wanted to anyway.

She pulled the band out of his hair, letting it fall loosely around his shoulders and over her breasts. The hair tickled her nipples but didn't dare do anything about it lest it break the spell that seemed to be on him.

She ran her fingers loosely through his hair, gently combing out the tangles. He smelled of the woods, earth and rain. It was a rich scent that filled her nostrils and gave her a heady, high feeling. She'd never tried drugs but she imagined this was what it was like. She could see why people got hooked on it.

His hair was beautiful, just like the rest of him. It wasn't blonde as she'd first thought, but a light gold color that offset his red eyes that were almost black now. It was soft and silken on her fingers, every strand perfect. He was so beautiful it hurt to look at him, to take him in.

He took her right hand and laid it where his heart should be.

"Do you feel that?" he whispered with a sly smile. "It's beating for you."

Dear God, why did he have to say things like that! It completely threw her off. She felt her chest constrict at his words. He sounded almost like he loved her and that was unbearable because it was so far from the truth that it could end up killing her. She couldn't bear to fall in love with him. It would break her in ways that her father never had.

"Don't say things like that," she snapped, trying to snatch her hand away. He wouldn't let her. "Let me go!"

"No," he said, kissing her knuckles. "I don't think I will."

"Why are you torturing me?" she said desperately.

"I wasn't aware that I was torturing you," he said indifferently, nibbling her hand.

"You are," she said bitterly, trying to wrench her hand away, nearly spraining her wrist in the process. "It's not fair."

"Whoever said life was fair?" he said with a bitter chuckle.

She pushed her bottom lip out and pouted like a petulant child.

"You're adorable, you know that?" he said with a light laugh, capturing her lips with his then pulling away and getting up. "Come on, get dressed. We need to get moving before Victoria catches your scent and finds us."

She crossed her arms over her chest to hide herself and quickly ran about the room gathering clothes and putting them on. He did the same thing but at a lazier, human pace. When he had his jeans and jacket back on he looked over to see her eyeing her bloody underwear.

"I wasn't supposed to start my period for another week," she said with a sigh. "Stress always gives me early periods."

"I'll take that," he said, snatching the underwear from her hand and pocketing it.

Her eyes widened and she gaped at him like a fish.

"You can't keep my bloody underwear in your pocket!" she cried, horrified.

"Who says I can't?" he said, stretching lazily like a cat, blood still on his face from when he had…

"I- I mean- I- Argh!" she yelled, grabbing her jeans and heading to the bathroom.

She heard him laugh as she slammed the door shut. She took a wash cloth off the rack and cleaned herself up, wiping away the blood and cum and her own wetness from her thighs and pussy. She had to be gentle. She was very sore and red down there.

He'd been gentle with her at first, and she wondered why. Why bother? Did he just not want to break her yet so he could play with her longer? Yeah, that must be it. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with what the strange brunette girl had said in the field yesterday. He couldn't possibly feel anything for her. Could he? After all, he was a vampire, a murderer. He didn't have feelings. He said he did but did she really believe it? She didn't honestly know.

She came out of the bathroom fully dressed and somewhat cleaner. Her hair was still sticking out everywhere from thrashing around on the bed but there was nothing she could do about that without a comb. James was going through the bags and pulled out a pair of jeans. He passed her with a wink and went into the bathroom, his long hair still hanging loosely about his shoulders.

She plopped down on the bed with a groan. God, he was just too… _much!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 10: "I Hate Everything About You."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. The song is I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace. Review please!**

James showered and changed his jeans out for a new pair. They weren't broken in but they would do until he could clean his other ones. He preferred the faded, grungy look when he could be picky about fashion. Unfortunately now was not one of those times. He rarely ever wore a shirt, instead choosing to show off his chest. He liked the admiring and often jealous stares of humans when he went dancing with Victoria.

Beth was bruised badly. On her hips where he'd been gripping her while he fucked her. He saw them when she was getting dressed. He hadn't meant to bruise her. He'd just gotten so into it that he'd lost control. He never lost control during sex, at least not with Victoria. He was surprised that he hadn't bitten her but it was as though some force deep inside himself had forbidden it. He shivered when he thought of her dead. It was an unpleasant thought to him, though he didn't know why. Well, she'd be dead soon enough. When he was done with her he'd suck her dry and leave her corpse on the highway. Another shiver, this one stronger, and a wave of nausea in the pit of his stomach.

He shook his head to clear the vision of her dead body from his head and stepped out into the crummy motel room. She was… Dear God, was she cutting? He flitted to her and ripped the razor out of he hand and flung it across the room. He pinned her wrists to the bed roughly, not at all careful with her broken wrist. She cried out in pain but he didn't care. She deserved it. What was she thinking?

" _What the hell do you think you're doing?_ " he snarled at her.

"I do it all the time," she said with a pained whimper. "It's not a big deal."

"It a big deal to me!" he shouted. "The only one who gets to hurt you is me, not you, not your fucking filthy father, not _anybody!_ Do we understand each other?"

She spit in his face. He wasn't expecting that.

 _Every time we lie awake_

 _After every hit we take_

 _Every feeling that I get_

 _But I haven't missed you yet_

He slapped her, tapped her really, since he could have ripped her head off with a real slap. But it did the job. She cried out in pain and looked at him dazedly

 _Every roommate kept awake_

 _By every sigh and scream we make_

 _All the feelings that I get_

 _But I still don't miss you yet_

"How dare you hit me!" she screamed in his face.

"I tapped you!" he yelled back, their face an inch apart. "If I'd hit you your fucking _head_ would be _missing!_ "

 _Only when I stop to think about it_ …

"I hate you, you son of a bitch!" she screamed furiously.

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_

The words stung and he flinched. He hated himself for it but he did. He couldn't help but be weak around her.

"I hate _you!_ " he screamed back, not meaning a single word of it, and wishing he did.

 _Every time we lie awake_

 _After every hit we take_

 _Every feeling that I get_

 _But I haven't missed you yet  
_ "Good! _Then why don't you fucking KILL me!_ " she shrieked, hurting his ears.

 _Only when I stop to think about it_

Then he kissed her, and her hands tangled in his wild hair.

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_

He ripped at her clothes and she tore his in the fight to get them off. He would fuck her into submission, make her take his cock whether she liked it or not, though she didn't seem to be complaining.

 _Only when I stop to think about you_

 _I know_

 _Only when you stop to think about me_

 _Do you know?_

He spread her legs and plunged into her without waiting for her to adjust. She cried out in pain but her legs wrapped around his waist and her nails raked down his back, leaving stinging red marks on his skin. He didn't even know how she could hurt him but he didn't care at the moment. He was too busy fucking her.

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_

 _You hate everything about me_

 _Why do you love me?_

He thrust in and out of her at inhuman speeds and they both made noises of pleasure and pain.

 _I hate_

 _You hate_

 _I hate_

 _You love me_

Their pleasure built and built until there was nothing else for them in the world. They came screaming.

 _I hate everything about you_

 _Why do I love you?_


	11. Chapter 11

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 10: "Why Do I Love You?"**

 **A/N: Okay, why is no one reviewing? I know you're there, I can see you on the traffic stats. Why aren't you reviewing? I work so hard to bring you this story and I seriously don't even get a pat on the back? This writing for free shit is for the birds. Still, I'll keep plugging away until someone reviews. Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

They laid there for a while, not speaking, just breathing in the scent of angry sex. They got up and dressed quickly in silence. Neither wanted to be the first to speak. They were both still angry.

James watched her out of the corner of his eye. Why could he not despise her? Why couldn't he hate her the way he did other humans? Why did she make his heart hurt and his chest ache? Why was he falling for her?

He knew he was falling for her even before he thought it but the thought still shocked him. Falling? For a human? He didn't do love. It wasn't possible that he would fall for anyone, especially a human. Wasn't it?

He was still angry with her for hurting herself. How could she do that? Did she know what it did to him to know that she was in pain?

He scowled.

They gathered their stuff in silence and checked out, hopping in the car and pulling out onto the highway.

They drove for about an hour before either of them said anything.

"Do you still have my book of poetry?" she asked, looking out the window, her tone deliberately bored.

He pulled it out of his jacket and handed it to her. He'd already read it from cover to cover, and he'd loved every word, but he felt that he ought to give it back. Somehow he knew it was important to her.

She clutched it to her chest like a keepsake and continued staring out the window without so much as a thank you.

"My heart is broken

By all the words my love left unspoken.

Tears and triumphs,

Left utterly defiant.

I stand alone on this green earth,

Broken, bleeding, without a sense of mirth.

Dead and bleeding,

My sight left unseeing," he quoted from memory.

She slowly turned and looked at his hands on the wheel, her expression one of schooled indifference. She was deliberately being aloof. _Is she still so angry with me?_ he thought.

He wondered if he'd hurt her badly when he'd fucked her. He hadn't been gentle by any means and being a vampire that could mean serious internal damage. Still, she wasn't limping or acting like he'd broken anything. Maybe put her out of joint in a couple of places, possibly tore her pussy, and she kept wincing every time the truck hit a bump. He grinned at the thought of her being sore from him fucking her. It was a better thought than her cutting. He remembered the look of ecstasy on her face as she'd cut into her skin. It was a look of euphoria, not as strong as when she came but still there. He'd heard that humans got an endorphin rush when they were hurt and he'd heard about cutting. At the time he'd thought it was the funniest thing in the whole goddamn world. Now there was nothing amusing about. He thought being fucked into submission a fitting punishment for her. Though she didn't seem very submissive. Just… aloof, with anger bubbling up under the surface.

"I don't know why you insist on keeping me alive," she said suddenly, her voice bitter and angry. "I don't know why you're making me suffer like this, why you're doing this to me. I've never done anything to you. I've never hurt you, never taken anything from you, and yet you insist on taking _everything_ from me. My life, my hope, my poetry, even my heart isn't my own anymore. You're slowly taking that over too."

 _Wait… What? She can't possibly… love me. Could she?_

"You… have feelings for me?" he asked slowly, his chest aching strangely at the thought.

"I'm starting to," she said, her arms folded over her chest protectively. "I don't like it. There's no happy ending for us. You're no hero and I'm no Cinderella, and soon you're going to turn back into a pumpkin and break something else, probably my neck. I don't want it to be my heart."

She was falling for him too. The news sent a thrill through him that surpassed hunting the most dangerous of prey. She… cared for him, or at least was beginning to. She felt it too. It wasn't just him. Somehow that made it more bearable that he had feelings for her, made it somehow okay in his mind, at least a little more than it had been before.

"I'm not going to kill you," he said quietly, realizing the truth behind his words.

Even if he got bored, which he somehow seriously doubted he would, he couldn't kill her now. She meant too much to him. His vampire instincts rebelled at the thought, but he pushed them aside and faced the truth. He couldn't kill her now. Her statement that she had never done anything to him, never taken anything from him, wasn't quite accurate. She'd done something to him, changed him a little, just enough that now he couldn't really hurt her, at least not permanently. The idea of giving her so much as a scar made him sick. Could vampires throw up?

"Not yet, you're not," she said calmly. "But you will when you get bored and then where will I be, faced with your betrayal of my trust? I'll be broken more completely than I ever have been. That's the worst thing you can do to a person before you kill them. It's cruel and sadistic, it's _wrong_. I don't imagine that you care one way or the other what's right and what's wrong but I have to believe there's some shred of humanity left in you, enough to grant my only request at least."

"And what is your request?" he asked curiously, waiting for her answer with bated breath.

"When you kill me, don't give me time to think about it, to process what's happening," she said. "Just reach over and snap my neck, then drink me dry or do whatever it is that you vampires do. Just don't give me time to know what's happening to me. After everything you've taken from me, that's the least you owe me."

"Owe you?" he said with a forced scoff. "I don't _owe_ you, little girl, I _own_ you. There's a difference. And I'm not making any promises. I'm going to do what pleases me and if that's torturing you emotionally for hours before I finally end your miserable, pathetic human life, then by God, that's what I'll do, and not you or anyone else is going to stop me."

It was all bullshit. Every word of it. He wanted to promise her anything, the very moon if she wanted it, to get her to love him. But being who he was, he needed to maintain some sense of control over the situation.

"There are moments when I don't know why I feel anything for you at all. And then there are others…" she said, trailing off, looking distant, as though she was reliving a memory. "And then there are others when I would do anything for you, give anything, kill even, just to make you smile at me. It's in moments like that that I know I've completely lost myself in you. I don't know who I am anymore. I used to be Beth, the cutter. Now? I just don't know."

"You're Beth, James' toy," he said. "That's your identity now. Learn to enjoy it because it's going to be a while before you're anything else, including dead."

A vision of her cold, pale, lifeless form sitting beside him in the truck made him grip the steering wheel so hard it began to crack under the pressure.

"I hate you," she said simply.

And it killed him.

My heart is broken

By all the words my love left unspoken.

Tears and triumphs,

Left utterly defiant.

I stand alone on this green earth,

Broken, without a sense of mirth.

Dead and bleeding,

My senses left unseeing.


	12. Chapter 12

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 12: "There You Stood."**

 **A/N: Okay, why is no one reviewing? I know you're there, I can see you on the traffic stats. Why aren't you reviewing? I work so hard to bring you this story and I seriously don't even get a pat on the back? This writing for free shit is for the birds. Still, I'll keep plugging away until someone reviews. Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

It was a while before they found a gas station to stop at. Having no tampon, Beth had bled through her jeans and onto the seat. Fortunately the seat was leather so it was easily enough cleaned up. Her jeans weren't so fortunate.

She could tell by the way that he gripped the steering wheel that the scent of her blood mixed with his own scent that he'd gotten on her earlier during sex was driving him crazy. His mouth was set into a firm, grim line and he didn't move except to steer. She wisely didn't say anything to him about it, though her curiosity almost got the better of her a few times. She wanted to ask him what the thirst was like. Was it a hunger that drove you slowly mad, or a fire that burned within you? And what was so great about vampire life anyway? What was the point of living forever, especially if you had no one to share it with? And James certainly had no one now. Perhaps Victoria would take him back once he was done playing with Beth. The thought brought on a wave of intense jealousy in Beth and she saw herself stabbing the redhead with a stake through the heart and her turning to ash. She had no idea if it worked that way or not but the idea in and of itself was appealing on so many levels, despite the fact that Beth had never been one for violence against anyone but herself.

The drive was long and quiet, and eventually James turned on the radio. He messed with the station until he came to a hard rock station. Hell by Disturbed was playing. She didn't like it. Sure she liked hard rock, but there was something about Disturbed that… well, disturbed her. Hell was probably the only song she liked by them. The rest were too violent. Like Down With The Sickness. I mean, the song was great up until he began talking about killing his abusive mother while he screeched like a demon. How was that supposed to be appealing?

Marilyn Manson came on next and she had to bite back a groan. She _hated_ Marilyn Manson. He sounded downright evil to her. He made her violated, like he'd touched her through the radio. It reminded her of her father and it gave her the creeps something awful. She curled into herself and wished she could take control of the radio but she didn't dare. He was already being pissy, she didn't need him in a worse mood as they fought over the radio. But finally, she'd had it.

"Please, _please_ , anything but Marilyn Manson!" she cried desperately.

His eyes snapped to her in surprise. The outburst had no doubt been unexpected. He turned back to the road with a pensive look on his face.

"Tune it to whatever you like," he said generously. "Just no techno shit. I hate that stuff."

"That makes two of us," she said with a small smile as she leaned over and tuned the station to 80's rock.

Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas was playing and she relaxed immediately. 80's rock was more her speed.

"You like 80's rock?" he asked with a pleased grin.

"Yeah, shit's great," she said, opening a bag of chips he'd bought for her at the gas station. "My mom always liked techno and disco, but when I was eight my dad tuned the car radio to an 80's station and You Really Got Me by Van Halen was playing and I was hooked. It's been true love ever since. I like newer stuff, just not shit like Marilyn Manson. He gives me the creeps. I only like one song by Disturbed, which is what was on earlier…"

She realized that she'd been going on and on about music, not letting him get a word in, and she trailed off. She never felt relaxed enough to do that around anyone but her mom, and she hadn't done that in years. What miracles was he working on her anyway?

James' grin was wider than ever as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Go on," he said. "Tell me what other kind of music you like."

She hesitated. Should she really be chummying up to him when he was just gonna kill her? Probably not, but the idea of talking with him about something normal was too good to pass up.

"Well, I like Linkin Park…" she said, going into all her favorite bands, which included Shindown, Three Days Grace, Skillet, Evanescence and Saliva.

"Sing something for me," he said suddenly, breaking her off from her tangent.

"Me?" she squeaked. "I- I can't."

"Why not?" he said, changing lanes.

"Be- Because," she said, as though that explained the whole thing.

"That's not an answer," he said with a laugh.

It was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh before, really laugh. It was an incredible, beautiful sound that made her heart flutter and fly.

"Come on," he said. "Just one song."

He sounded so sincere in his pleading that she nearly broke then and there.

"I don't know…" she said, looking up at him through dazzled eyes.

"Please?"

Hearing him say please did it. She sighed and flicked off the radio.

"Okay, but it won't be any good," she said, taking a calming breath to get her breathing under control.

" _Here I stand  
Empty hands  
Wishing my wrists were bleeding  
To stop the pain from the beatings_

 _There you stood  
Holding me  
Waiting for me to notice you_

 _But who are you  
You are the truth (you are the truth)  
Outscreaming these lies  
You are the truth (you are the truth)  
Saving my life_

 _The warmth of your embrace  
Melts my frostbitten spirit  
You speak the truth and I hear it  
The words are I love you  
And I have to believe in you  
_

 _But who are you_

 _You are the truth (you are the truth)_

 _Outscreaming these lies_

 _You are the truth (you are the truth)_

 _Saving my life  
_

 _My hands are open_

 _And you are filling them_

 _Hands in the air_

 _In the air, in the air, in the air  
_

 _And I worship_

 _And I worship_

 _And I worship_

 _And I worship  
_

 _You are the truth (you are the truth)_

 _Outscreaming these lies_

 _You are the truth (you are the truth)_

 _Saving my life_ …" she sang, her soft voice permeating the air, filling the truck.

She really hoped he liked it.


	13. Chapter 13

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 13: "Control."**

 **A/N: Okay, why is no one reviewing? I know you're there, I can see you on the traffic stats. Why aren't you reviewing? I work so hard to bring you this story and I seriously don't even get a pat on the back? This writing for free shit is for the birds. Still, I'll keep plugging away until someone reviews. Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature.**

James was stunned. Her voice was incredible, so utterly unique, just like everything else about her. It filled the truck with its light sound. He felt the pain in her voice behind the words of the song. She was singing about herself, only instead of beatings she got… _touched_. The thought was unbearable. He wanted to rip her father's throat out, tear him to pieces and feed him to dogs. Every ounce of hatred and violence came out in him as he thought about what she'd suffered at his hands. Her unwilling confession had touched him. Deeply. He would die sooner than admit it but there it was.

Her sweet voice filled his ears, pain and hope coming off her in waves. He was stunned by her, the whole package that made up Beth Sanderson, that he didn't even care when she missed a note. She was so utterly perfect in her own fragile, human way.

The song ended and her voice trailed off, looking up at him with hope in her eyes. Did she want him to like it? Did she care what he thought?

"Well?" she finally said after she'd had enough of his silence. "What'd you think?"

"It was…" He trailed off, unable to find the right words. She'd given him a glimpse into her soul. He wanted to say something more than, 'it was nice.'

"Come on, it couldn't have been that bad," she said with a nervous laugh.

She was nervous? That was a good sign.

"It was incredible," he said lamely. He wanted to spout poetry but the words were stuck in his brain and they wouldn't come out. "You dazzle me, you know that?"

It was the closest he'd come to admitting his feelings for her, the closest he could come to it without betraying his own identity. Maybe one day soon his identity wouldn't matter so much but he was still him enough to not want to lose himself. Maybe one day he'd be so much a part of her that that wouldn't matter anymore. At this point it was certainly a possibility.

She blushed and ducked her head, embarrassed by his praise.

"Thank you," she said softly.

He cleared his throat and tried to stop obsessing about her. It was an impossible mission.

"That was a Christian song, wasn't it?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "Do you worship God?"

"I think I've been a little busy worshipping someone else lately," she said. She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled that dazzling smile.

Was she flirting with him?

There was a slight smirk to her smile that made him think she was. It was nice.

She read while he drove, or at least she pretended to. Mostly she was thinking about him, how utterly complicated he was. He confused her, made her feel things that she knew it wasn't wise to feel. She was falling for him fast. The sex was amazing but there was something more between them, at least she felt there was. She didn't have any idea if he felt it too. Probably not. Still, he pulled at her soul in ways she never thought was possible. She realized she'd sell her soul to the devil for him to feel it too. She wanted him so badly, more than she'd ever wanted anything before. Her need for him didn't compare to anything she'd ever felt before. She wanted to fuck him all the time but it was more than that. It was deeper.

They stopped in a town called Paradise and they did a little shopping. James bought a CD of 80's rock music which pleased Beth. He was paying attention to what she liked, was being considerate. It was nice.

It was early, only three o'clock, but James checked them into a motel anyway. She knew he wanted her again. It made her nervous because she was sore but she wanted him again too and would suffer any amount of pain to have him.

When they were in the room they put their stuff on the floor and he looked at her. Their eyes met and it was electric. Their eyes said so much that they couldn't bring themselves to say.

The tension hung heavily between them. The air was thick with it. And then he was standing in front of her, his fingers brushing her jaw.

Beth's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. It felt so good to be touched by him. It made her feel wanted and desired. She could feel her body reacting to him. A tension built in her lower stomach, spreading pleasantly. It felt wonderful.

"Take off your clothes," he said breathlessly. He was effected too.

She hesitated. She still wasn't used to being naked around him. But she wanted this, wanted to please him. She had an idea. It was risky. He might laugh at her. But it might please him and that was worth the risk.

"Sit on the bed," she said, pushing him back toward it.

He went without a word of protest, his eyes watching her curiously, obviously wondering what she was going to do.

She pushed him down onto the bed and stepped back. Her breathing was uneven. This was exciting her.

Her hips began to sway as though there was music in the small, cheap room. James watched her with great interest as she ran her hands over her stomach and breasts. Then she lifted her hands up over her head and began to dance for him, her hips swaying hypnotically to the music in her head. She began to hum the tune, Until The Dawn from the Step Up soundtrack, her body moving in perfect time. She knew she was a good dancer. She spent a lot of her time in the woods listening to her iPod and dancing. She'd gotten some very sexy moves down over the years, and she used them now to entice James. She wanted to seduce him the way he'd seduced her. She wanted him to get hard without her having to touch him. By the looks of it she was doing a damn good job. His pants were bulging and he had a strained look on his face, almost as though he was in pain.

She smiled sexily and pulled her shirt up over her head, her hips still swaying. She threw the shirt aside and her hands trailed down her bra covered breasts, down her stomach and to the button of her jeans. She flicked her wrists and the jeans were unbuttoned. Another flick and the zipper was down. She put her thumb in the hem of her jeans and slowly pulled them down. She took of her tennis shoes and stepped out of the jeans, tossing them at him. He caught them but his eyes were solely on her.

She was only in her bra and a new pair of underwear now that she'd insisted he buy her. She continued dancing, turning so that her back faced him. She put her thumbs in the waistband of her panties and she slowly pulled them down, bending so that her ass was accentuated. She kicked the underwear away from her and danced some more, her ass put on display for him. Every move was sensual, chosen to push him further and further to the edge. She unhooked her bra and took it off, allowing it to dangle on her finger at her side so that he could see it. She let it drop and danced naked for him like a harridan.

She turned around and allowed him to see her naked front. She was nervous but that was conquered by a sense of power. For once, she was the one in control.


	14. Chapter 14

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 14: "Passing Out."**

 **A/N: Okay, why is no one reviewing? I know you're there, I can see you on the traffic stats. Why aren't you reviewing? I work so hard to bring you this story and I seriously don't even get a pat on the back? This writing for free shit is for the birds. Still, I'll keep plugging away until someone reviews. Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Song for this chapter is Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.**

James' control snapped when he saw her naked front. Her little dance of seduction had worked beautifully. He was as hard as he'd ever been and she hadn't even touched him.

He threw her jeans aside and flitted to her, putting his hands on her hips. She was surprised and stopped dancing for a second, but she soon resumed the swaying of her hips. She turned so that her back was facing him and ground her ass against his crotch. He groaned and pushed back, his body begging for the friction. His hands on her hips, he began swaying with her. She smiled coyly as he led her movements. She was a wonder. Shy one minute, a seductress the next. She was everything. She was an innocent, a vixen, a writer, a singer, a lover… She was everything. And he wanted her.

He spun her around and her eyes went wide in surprise. He backed her up to the bed then pushed her onto it the way she had him. He backed her up to the headboard, crawling on top of her, his shoulders rolling like a predator. He was a predator. And she was his prey. The thought was exciting to him on so many levels. It was a new kind of hunt for him, to seek out her pleasure, to get her to react. It was all so easy it should have been boring but it wasn't. Getting her to come was more exciting to him than any hunt he'd ever been on, and he'd been on some thrilling chases.

She watched him through her long, dark lashes. She was so excited by this. He could smell it on her. It excited him to know that she was excited, that she wanted him, even through her pain.

He peeled his jacket off, leaving his chest bare. She ran her hands up his ribcage to his pecks and toyed with his nipples, pinching, pulling, tugging. His breath caught in his throat and his eyes went dark. She was watching his reactions, playing him like a violin. That wouldn't do.

He lowered his head and nipped at her throat, and she sighed. He moved his head down to her breast and he locked eyes with her. She watched with wide eyes as he took a nipple in his cold mouth and she gasped. He suckled her gently, swirling his tongue around the hard little nub. She let out a little moan and he smirked against her breast, kissing the skin just above her heart.

"You like that, baby?" he said huskily. "I've got so much more in store."

"James," she sighed, her head laid back on the pillow.

"Yes?" he said, his hand snaking between them to find her folds.

"I just like saying your name," she said, moaning as he touched her clit lightly.

"I like the way it sounds on you lips," he said, sucking her nipple. "Say it again."

" _James_ ," she moaned as he flicked her clit.

"Again," he said.

" _James!_ " she cried as he began rubbing her clit in earnest.

He pulled her tampon out and threw it across the room. She blushed and he knew she'd forgotten all about it. He grinned at her embarrassment. She was such a funny little thing. Seducing him one minute, blushing at the silliest things the next.

He pushed a finger inside her, curling it to hit her g-spot. He hit it over and over again and she began moaning and writhing wildly.

"James, please," she begged. "I need you. I need you inside me."

God, did she have any idea what she was doing to him?

She reached for his jeans and he let her unbutton them and shove them down his hips. His cock jumped out of his pants and she rolled them over. He let her, curious to see what she would do. She kissed down his chest, paying special attention to his nipples. Then she kissed down his stomach and he realized what she was going to do. His mouth went dry and his throat felt tight. His cock twitched at the idea.

"You-" he began, trying to find the right words. "You don't have to…"

She looked up at him through her lashes, a small smile on her lips.

"I want to," she said softly.

She climbed down his body until she was face to face with his cock. She put her lips around the head and he groaned. She took more of him into her mouth and sucked. He grit his teeth, trying to maintain some dignity. But when she rubbed her tongue against the underside of his cock he moaned, unable to control his reactions the way he wanted to. Her instincts were good. Really good. He hardly knew what to do with himself, it felt so good.

Her head started bobbing up and down as she sucked him, using her hand to rub what her mouth couldn't reach. Her scent got stronger and he knew that giving him head was exciting her. He deliberately moaned loudly and her scent got even stronger. His reactions were arousing her. After that he didn't try to keep from moaning. In fact, he put on a pretty good show for her and he knew she was getting close when her hips started grinding against air. It was so hot to watch her sucking him off while her hips thrust against nothing, begging for friction of any kind, that he couldn't control himself. He grabbed her shoulders, pulled her flush against his body and flipped them all in one movement, plunging into her wet heat. She cried out, though whether in pain or pleasure he didn't know. Maybe both.

He started moving, his body and hers moving together, her legs wrapping around his hips and her arms coming around his shoulders, hands tangling in his hair, pulling out the band in it. He thrust in and out of her wildly. She'd pushed him past his limits. It had all been too much and now he wasn't responsible for his actions.

His speed became inhuman and her moans and cries of pleasure filled his ears in a sound that was heaven to him. How could anything be better than being surrounded by her warmth?

The smell of her blood was good but it wasn't as intoxicating to him as the smell of her arousal. The scent of her blood made his throat burn but her arousal did something to his heart, made his chest feel tight.

She met his thrusts as best as she could, trying to keep up but he was too fast. It was funny to know that she was trying though. She was so determined. He might've laughed if he wasn't dying of pleasure at that moment.

He lasted for an inhumanly long time but it was soon for him. She came twice before he did, screaming so loudly that he was surprised someone didn't call the cops. Then again, it was pretty obvious by the way she screamed his name what she was screaming about.

"Oh, God, James!" she shrieked during her second orgasm. " _James!_ "

"Come on, baby," he said under his breath. "God, baby, come on, come for me, baby, come for me…"

He came with an inhuman roar, biting her neck hard enough to inject her with venom when he lost control. She screamed in pain this time as the burn took her over but he sucked it out, just barely managing to stop before she passed out from blood loss.


	15. Chapter 15

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 15: "Blood Loss."**

 **A/N: Okay, why is no one reviewing? I know you're there, I can see you on the traffic stats. Why aren't you reviewing? I work so hard to bring you this story and I seriously don't even get a pat on the back? This writing for free shit is for the birds. Still, I'll keep plugging away until someone reviews. Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. And this chapter is dedicated to AquaM for her awesome review! WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

Beth woke up feeling heavy and tired. It was how she had felt the last time she had been drained of blood. She remembered being bitten by James. Even through the pain though she remembered the feel of his cold seed spilling inside of her. It was a good feeling. It made her feel complete and being bitten wasn't so terrible. It had hurt like hell but she was used to pain. It wasn't the initial pain of being bitten that got her. It was the burning afterwards. It was unspeakably painful. Still, knowing that she gave him sustenance, fed him from her own body, was a heady feeling that she liked. She was getting addicted to him, she realized. It was dangerous. He would only hurt her in the end but was it really so bad? If she had to die she would rather do it at the hands of the man she loved than at anyone else's. Yes, she loved him. There was a small feeling of unexpected joy at the thought. She couldn't help it. She had never been in love before. It was nice to know she wouldn't die without knowing what it felt like.

She showered while James went shopping for some more clothes for her. He had given her a look when she had insisted on staying there to clean up. It had taken some convincing but he finally gave in after she went down on him again. She knew he liked that she was so willing to please him, that she downright wanted to. So she used it against him. She knew it was probably wrong to use someone's weaknesses against them but she didn't care. If he was going to kill her anyway she might as well have things her way in the meantime.

She waited in a towel for him to get back. She sat on the bed and tried to read but she couldn't stop thinking about him. He was so… perfect for her. Being with him felt so right, and she loved the danger it brought to her life. She knew just being around him was dangerous. It was an adrenaline rush. And the sex! The sex was incredible! She never knew she could feel such pleasure. She got wet just thinking about it.

Still, she didn't have any clue how to deal with this love stuff, especially since he didn't feel it for her too. She was uncomfortable with it. In fact, she didn't like it. It was painful. She hoped he wouldn't be nice to her. It would make it easier to emotionally distance herself from him.

James hurried up with the shopping. He didn't like being away from Beth in case Victoria was on their trail but how could he resist letting her have her way when she was so… _convincing_. She'd been wonderful that morning, so willing to please him, eager even. He loved it, he loved… her. The thought came unwelcome to his mind. He couldn't… No, it was impossible. He didn't do the whole love thing. But he felt something for her, he knew that. He couldn't deny it, even though he wanted to. This shit was so complicated.

He got back in good time and she was laying on the bed in nothing but a skimpy towel. She was already wet. He couldn't resist her.

"Take it off," he said, dropping the bags on the floor and flitting to the edge of the bed.

She watched him through her lashes and laid back against the pillow, opening the towel to show off the lovely body that he'd become so familiar with lately. He took in every curve, the dips of her hips and ribcage, the paleness of her skin.

He crawled onto the bed and settled himself between her legs. She reached over and unbuttoned his jeans and pulled out his already hardening cock. She had lost some of her shyness over the last few days. She'd proved that this morning when she'd so eagerly taken him into her mouth and swallowed his cum like a champ, only choking a little. God, she was so hot.

"Lay back," he said, laying her gently down on the pillow.

She submitted willingly to his touch, arching against every movement. She was delicious when he went down on her again, nibbling at her clit until she screamed and came, crying out his name. He loved that she could have multiple orgasms. It was so fun to watch. She made these delicious little noises in the back of her throat that hardened him further. He tried to take her gently but she wasn't having any of that.

"Harder," she said petulantly. "I've survived crazy animal sex with you before. Trust me, I can take it. I'm not made of glass."

He chuckled and threw her legs over his shoulders, bending her in half. He stood up straight on his knees, lifting her ass in the air. He pulled out and thrust hard, so hard she bumped the headboard with her head. She irritably shoved the pillow between her head and the headboard and ground herself against him.

"Come on, baby, give it to me!" she said, excitement shining in her eyes.

"You asked for it," he said with a knowing smirk.

He fucked her hard and fast, using inhuman vampire speed and strength. She moaned like a whore for him, begged him to touch her clit. When he finally did she came apart, and watching her, feeling her squeeze him with her inner muscles so tightly, he came apart too, harder than he'd ever come before. Except that one time during the crazy animal sex, as she put it.

He laid next to her, panting, despite the fact that he didn't need air. He looked over at her where she laid, looking flushed and sated. She had that far away, dreamy look in her eye that she always got after an orgasm. He felt his heart clench painfully, overtaken by an emotion he couldn't and wouldn't understand.

"I got you something," he said.

"Really?" she said, looking over at him.

He was looking at her and their eyes met. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. She frowned and sat up. He frowned then too, not understanding what he'd done wrong.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing her arm.

"I'm getting dressed," she said, trying to get up. He wouldn't let her.

"I fuck you and now you want to get all wrapped up like a fucking Christmas present," he said with a sneer of disgust. He'd never understand women.

He let her go, letting her have her way this once. He wanted her in bed, naked with him. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be generous once in a while. Yes, he'd let her have her way this once.

She dressed quickly. He watched her. Maybe his present would put her in a good mood.

He got up and threw on his pants, feeling awkward being the only one naked. He hated that she could make him uncomfortable.

He grabbed a bag and took out the book he'd bought her.

"Here," he said irritably.

She folded her arms, glanced at it, then turned away.

"I can't accept it," she said coldly.

"What? Why the fuck not?" he said, furious. He'd spent half an hour picking a book out for her because he thought it would make her smile. He'd be damned if she didn't take it and be happy about it.

"I should never have accepted the first book, and I'm going to give it back now," she said emotionlessly. Why was it so fucking hard to read her? "This isn't a relationship. We're not together. It isn't appropriate to accept gifts from the thing that's going to kill me."

He only just stopped himself from flinching at her use of the word 'thing' instead of 'man.' It hurt, goddamn it. It actually hurt.

"You weren't whining about what was appropriate five minutes ago!" he said loudly. "You were begging me to fuck you! 'Harder,' you said. 'I'm not made of glass.' Not, 'it's not appropriate.'"

She glanced over her shoulder coldly, looking him up and down as though she was summing him up. It made him feel small.

"It's just sex, James. Don't make a big deal out of it," she said casually, turning away again. "I can't accept the book, that's that."

"The fuck it is!" he shouted, grabbing her arm roughly and turning her to face him. He got in her face, his mouth inches from hers. "If I give you something you'll take it and be thankful!"

Her eyes softened and she looked at his lips but the moment lasted only a second. Her eyes hardened and she smiled unpleasantly. She looked cruel.

"Or _what?_ You'll break my other wrist?" she said with a high, cruel laugh. "Isn't that what you're best at? Hurting people weaker than you? You're nothing but a great big bully, a _coward._ "

She said the word with relish and he felt as though his heart had been ripped out. It hurt. So badly that he couldn't have breathed even if he needed the air.

"Is that what you really think?" he said hoarsely, feeling like someone had kicked him in the nuts.

"I _despise_ you," she said with a sneer of disgust, pressing her lips to his in a vicious kiss that lasted only a heartbeat. "You make me _sick_."

He almost killed her. He raised his hand to do just that when a little voice in the back of his head stopped him. _You'll never see her again._ The thought made him ill. _She'll be gone and you'll be alone. Even if Victoria took you back, you'd never hold Beth again, never hear her heart beating against your chest as you hold her. You'll never taste her lips again, drinking in the heady, human scent of her. She'll be gone. Forever. Is that what you really want? No? Then suck it up and be a big boy. Take it like a vampire. Tell her she can't hurt you._

He sneered and pulled her closer, flashing his teeth in a nasty grin.

"If you're trying to hurt my feelings, Beth, you'll have to try harder," he said. "I keep you around to play with. You're a _toy_ to me. So if you're trying to get back at me because I'm going to kill you then think again, because you can't hurt me. You are _nothing_ to me. I play with you – I _fuck_ you – because it's _fun_."

"And when you're done with me you'll kill me, and everything will be as it should be," she said coldly. "I'll be free of you and you'll be back with Victoria."

"Jealous?" he said with a sneer. "You shouldn't be. You're a way better fuck than her. You moan and pant more, like a fifty dollar whore. You're such a slut for me."

"And you can't get enough of it," she said with disgust.

"Neither can you," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes tenderly, still grinning.

"What can I say? You're just my kind of poison," she said with a nasty grin of her own.

She grabbed his neck and pulled him down for a searing kiss that lit his body on fire. Being a vampire had some benefits. Like you could be ready for round two in a matter of minutes, seconds if the fuck was good enough and you were really trying.

He tossed her on the bed and unbuttoned his pants, dropping them quickly. He was on her in a heartbeat, kissing her savagely. He tore her clothes, ripping them off, but neither of them cared. He ravished her completely and utterly. He kissed, licked, sucked and fucked. She moaned, begged, gasped, bucked, and begged some more. He fucked her hard, bruising her hips with his grip. He wasn't gentle and they both loved it. She scratched his back with her nails, leaving marks. She screamed when she came, and he roared in pleasure. He almost bit her again but he managed to control himself. It was hard. She was so very tempting.


	16. Chapter 16

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 16: "I Love You."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. And this chapter is dedicated to Kera for being my best friend. Thank you. WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

They dressed quickly and in silence. Now that the sex was over only awkwardness and hurt remained. They gathered their things and checked out of the hotel without a word. He handed her the book in the car and she took it slowly, submitting in deed if not in spirit. Neither turned the radio on or spoke.

Beth was so sore. Everything hurt, but what hurt the most was her heart. She was heartsick. This whole love thing sucked ass.

They drove through town after town. She pretended to read while he brooded. She wanted to kiss it better, tell him she was sorry, but what would her apology mean to him really? She hadn't hurt him, wasn't even capable of it. Who was she to him in the end?

He parked in front of a motel some time after dark and checked in. He led her to their room but this time it had two beds.

"All they had left," he said by way of explanation.

"Oh," Beth replied quietly.

He dumped the stuff on one of the beds and took his jacket off.

"Take your clothes off," he said emotionlessly.

She hesitated, then took off her shirt. Her bra, pants and underwear followed. She stood in the middle of the room with her arms crossed over her chest, James' back facing her. He took his pants off, leaving him completely naked. He laid his jeans on the bed and turned to face her. He walked over to her, took her face in his hands and kissed her softly, capturing her lips in a gentle, insistent kiss. Then he pulled back, pressing their foreheads together, inhaling deeply, no doubt taking in her scent. She felt so vulnerable to him and yet so safe.

"Today was… really awful," he said. "It was my fault. I shouldn't have tried to force you into anything."

She blanched in shock. Was he actually apologizing?

"You frustrate me sometimes, my inability to control you frustrates me," he said.

"No," she heard herself saying. "It was my fault. I was picking a fight because I was afraid."

"Baby, what could you possibly be afraid of with me around to protect you?" he said with what seemed like genuine concern, cradling her face in his hands.

"I just-" she began, struggling for words. Tears welled in her eyes and she took a deep breath as she looked at him. "I just don't want to get hurt."

"I won't hurt you, baby," he said softly.

"Yet," she said with a bitter laugh, tears streaming down her face freely now.

"Hey, look at me," he said, lifting her head.

Her eyes found his for what seemed like a blissful moment in eternity and then he spoke.

"I will not hurt you," he said.

"I want to believe you," she said with a sob, "but I don't know how. I'm so tired of being hurt. Everyone hurts me. My dad, my mom, the kids at school, the teachers with all their little criticisms, and you. You know how to hurt me best of all."

"Hey,I _will not_ hurt you," he said firmly. "Believe me. All that shit about killing you. It's just shit. I said it because I'm a vampire and I've got some pride, though you're quickly killing what's left of it. Don't you see what you do to me? Don't you see how you're slowly changing me from monster to man, conscience and all? You've changed me. I don't know how or when but it's slowly happening and I can't stop it. Hell, I don't even think I want to anymore. I haven't planned on killing you for a while now. You're too… right for me to kill. If you keep up being such a good girl, I may even keep you for eternity. How does that sound?"

It was too good to be true. She began to sob in earnest, laying her head on his chest and hugging him around the waist tightly, like she'd die if she let go. He wrapped his arms around her and she thought there could be no better feeling in the world. But could she believe him? Could she risk her heart and everything else? Could she let him in all the way? Did she even have a choice anymore or was she so far gone that all choice was removed out of her hands? Then she remembered that she loved him and that nothing else mattered.

"I love you," she whispered fiercely.

"God, baby, say it again!" he said, holding her body tightly to him.

He kissed her neck and picked her up bridal style. He carried her to one of the beds and laid her on it.

"I love you," she whispered, pulling him on top of her. "I love you. So much. God, so very much!"

He wished he could say he was playing her, that the whole thing was just bullshit. But he couldn't. As he made love to her, truly made love to her, for the first time, he knew he was in love. He'd waited all his life for this and it was better than he ever could have imagined. And knowing she loved him too was almost too much to bear.

He caressed her folds and she moaned for him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he kissed her jugular where he'd bitten her. She was getting slick fast for him and he didn't have to wait long before she was ready for him. He kissed and suckled her nipples as he pushed into her and she moaned loudly. She quivered and sighed as he thrust in and out of her. He made love to her, her body slick with her human sweat. They came together, moaning and panting each other's names. They held each other through the night.


	17. Chapter 17

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 17: "A Painful Journey For Two."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. And this chapter is dedicated to Kera for being my best friend. Thank you. WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

Around four in the morning Beth fell asleep. He was thinking about what he'd said to her, about keeping her for all of eternity. The idea was so utterly appealing to him he almost changed her right then and there. But the idea of losing her warmth made him hesitate. No, he wasn't going to lie to himself, not anymore, at least not about her. He could lie to himself about loving to torture people, about not caring if he had a soul, but he had to be truthful about Beth. It seemed disrespectful to lie. It was the idea of seeing Beth in that kind of unspeakable, unbearable pain for days on end that made him hesitate. He knew it would be over in a few days and they would have each other for the rest of eternity but he remembered what it was like, how it seemed like an eternity. If he could dream he would be haunted in his dreams by that pain. He was more haunted by the look of pain and betrayal on Beth's face when she was huddled in the corner nursing her broken wrist. Would she ever forgive him for putting her through that kind of pain? He hadn't forgiven his sire, he'd ripped his fucking head off and lit him on fire at the first opportunity after figuring out how the whole vampire thing worked. No, she would hate him. She would realize what a curse it was to be a damned, soulless vampire one day and she would hate him, and it would destroy him. He would be eaten up by the pain of it and it would scar him eternally. Even in hell, he would never forget the pain of her hating him. So he had to do it on purpose. It would hurt less if she hated him now rather than if he spent a hundred years with her. He would make her hate him, but he'd keep her. Somewhere safe, in a house by the sea maybe or a cottage in the woods. He couldn't send her back home to her father. The idea was unbearable. No, he would give her a comfortable, content life. He'd still fuck her, he wouldn't deny her something that made her happy, even if it was only physically, even if it would've been easier to break faith with her completely if he didn't have to listen to her screams of pleasure and whispered pleas for more of his touch. He wished now that she hadn't confessed her love to him. He didn't believe that she really loved him, it was probably just hormones and shit, or because the sex was confusing her, but she thought she loved him, and she would be devastated when he hurt her. God, he would have to hurt her, and badly to make her hate him irrevocably.

He kissed Beth's forehead for a long moment. He needed to start now or his resolve would break. With the end of the kiss, his painful journey began.

Beth awoke alone in bed. She stretched languorously and opened her eyes. James was sitting in a chair looking out the blinds, his expression dark and brooding. She frowned. Had she done something wrong? He had seemed so pleased by her and her confession of love, and there had been such promise in their lovemaking. What could cause him to look so upset?

She got up and approached him, trying not to be shy about her nakedness. He noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye because he turned to her and pinned her with his stare, a small smirk.

"Your breasts are laughably tiny and you're way too skinny," he said, turning away indifferently.

Her eyes went wide and her hands went to her breasts automatically to hide them. Her chest ached at the cruel comment and tears pricked her eyes.

"James-" she began softly.

"Your confession last night was also deeply amusing," he continued as though uninterrupted. "Your pathetic human love! And you believed my little make-up act, bought it like the idiot you are! I almost gave it away by laughing so many times! And that make up sex! I thought it was fascinating, the way you absolutely beamed afterwards, like you thought we were the greatest romance since Cathy and Heathcliff! God, you are such a sucker!"

Something inside her shrank and died as though a fire had consumed it and turned it to ash. She put her arms around herself and crumpled to her knees as the truth sunk in. _He didn't love her…_ Her face was scrunched up in pain. She opened her mouth and let out a piercing scream that made James shoot up out of his chair and look at her. She didn't care though. She wouldn't have cared if he'd died at that moment. She couldn't have cared because… he'd killed her heart.


	18. Chapter 18

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 18: "Worth Going To Hell For."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Thank you. WARNING! RAPE AND MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

James had never in his entire life, mortal or immortal, heard a sound like that. How any sound could express such pain and despair was beyond his comprehension. The only thought that crossed his mind was the fear that he'd finally broken her for good. And then what he was seeing penetrated his thick skull and the full weight of what he'd done came down on him like a ton of bricks. He'd killed her love for him. She would never look at him the same again. She would never say she loved him again. He thought he would die. Something inside him shrank and died as though it had been consumed by fire and turned to ash. He was pretty sure it was his heart.

She stopped screaming and took a deep breath, throwing her head back and closing her eyes in agony.

"James," she sobbed quietly. "Why? Why can't you love me? Why am I not good enough? Dear God, James, I love you!"

A queer, half-and-half feeling overtook his senses. It wasn't over. She still loved him. A part of him rejoiced and that thing that had turned to ash raised itself like a phoenix from its remains. But another part of him, the part of him knew that it had to die again and for good this time, slumped its shoulders in defeat and despair, and wept silent tears for both him and his only real love.

Needing to touch her, even if only to pick her up and put her on the bed so she could rest, he flitted over to her and tried to lift her up. She screamed and struggled.

" _No!_ " she shrieked, beating his chest with her fists.

A sudden, horrifying idea occurred to him. If that kind of cruelty couldn't make her hate him then he knew what would. It would put him on a level beneath even her father. The idea of touching her when she was like this held no appeal to him. In fact, it was completely and totally repugnant to him in every sense of the word. Not to say he didn't still desire her, but he only wanted her if she was truly willing and wanted him. The idea of… God, of _violating_ her made him want to wretch. He would rather have died that put her through that, but he couldn't protect her from her father and Victoria if he was dead, and in truth, he could think of no other way to make her hate him. He was loathe to do it though. He didn't even know if he could. Could he really get it up while she was screaming and pushing him away?

He tried not to think too deeply of whether or not he could perform and just pulled her against him and kissed her deeply. He was a little surprised and utterly devastated when she shrieked louder and tried to get away from him. She pulled away, put her hand over his mouth and screamed, trying with all her meager human strength to push him away by his face, hitting him on the head with her wrist brace, despite the fact that she shrieked louder with every hit, no doubt in pain. It would have been funny to him at one time, her useless human resistance. But there was nothing funny about the path he'd chosen to take. There was nothing funny about raping Beth Sanderson. His heart broke a little more with every scream and every hit. He wished she would just stop and give in, that she would just accept the inevitable.

And then she did.

Her screams stopped and she went utterly limp, her hands falling away and her body hanging in his arms like a ragdoll. Her head lolled back, her eyes open and lifeless, and for one heart-rending second he thought he'd accidently crushed her to death. Then he felt her heart beat against his chest and she took a small breath. He gently laid her down on the carpeted floor and watched her utterly still form for a long, long time. She only sign of life was her shallow breathing and the soft thud of her heartbeat in his ears. He swallowed thickly as she her head fell to the side and she stared, dead-eyed, at nothing. There was no sparkle or light or even a single sign of life in those eyes. He pressed his forehead against her neck and fought back tears. He didn't even know how he was going to continue what he'd started. How could he get it up while she was like this? It would be like having sex with a corpse. It was a vile thought to him, but so was the thought of Beth spending an eternity in hell because he'd selfishly damned her to it by making her a vampire. So he shrugged off his jacket.

He opened his mouth to say it was going to be okay. It wasn't going to be okay, and he wasn't going to lie to her to make himself feel better. It would never be okay again. Nothing could make things okay again after this. This was the end of his life as he knew it.

He grit his teeth and tried to think of sexually appealing things. An array of naked women in different sexual positions, including Victoria, floated through his head as he unbuttoned his jeans but it just made him disgusted and sick inside. He couldn't think of other women while touching Beth. Hell, even if he wasn't touching Beth he didn't think he'd ever have another sexual thought about any woman other than her ever again. Especially not Victoria.

He unzipped his pants and shimmied them down his hips slightly to get himself out of his pants. He was flaccid. God, why did this have to be so difficult? He had the sex drive of a vampire, it should have been easy.

He reluctantly pulled out his memories of Beth and shuffled through them. Crazy animal sex, biting her, her little dance of seduction, and their magical first meeting when her eyes had sparkled with curiosity and interest. _Yes, that one_ , he thought. His body began to react as he replayed the scene, watched her eyes sparkle with life and he re-explored her vibrancy and brilliance. She was like a falling star, he realized as he pumped his cock with his fist, trying to arouse himself. She was beautiful from far away, and even more so the closer you got, but with every step you took toward her you found yourself in more danger of being consumed by her.

More memories flitted by, surprising ones arousing him, like the memory of her singing or pretending to read _The Tempest_ while she studied him out of the corner of her eye. He spread her legs and went down on her, hoping to get her body aroused even if her mind and heart rebelled. The act of touching her wasn't arousing to him this time, not with her all cold and motionless. She wouldn't even get wet for him. She was always wet for him.

He used his mouth and fingers to spread moisture so his entrance would hurt as little as possible. It would still hurt. There just wasn't enough moisture. Maybe it would make her hit him again. Anything was better than this deadness.

He pushed into her and groaned. Even completely limp and relaxed she was still blissfully tight. He wanted to die for feeling even a modicum of pleasure from her body while she was like this but it was a necessary evil. He had to complete the act. Then it would be over and she would hate him. Then his heart and soul could die in peace, and they could live together on relatively comfortable terms. It would put an end to sex between them. She would never want him again like that, but it would finish the job he'd started and her soul would be safe.

He continued to focus on memories of her, thrusting gently in and out of her. It was a very long time before he could come, not because he didn't find her attractive but because it was hard to focus with tears stinging his eyes. He could hardly bear it. His soul was tearing itself to pieces with every thrust of his hips. In a last desperate attempt he allowed himself to relive the memory of her saying she loved him and their lovemaking afterward. He groaned and with a final thrust of his hips, he came.

He stayed inside her for a long while, trying to swallow his emotions, keep himself from breaking down in front of her. He couldn't blow it now. If he showed his love for her she might actually be able to forgive him. He doubted it was possible but he couldn't take a chance, not after the hell they'd both endured in getting to that point.

Eventually he reigned in his emotions enough to pull out of her, pull up his pants and flit to the bathroom without sobbing openly. The bathroom door had barely slammed shut before he was on his hands and knees, sobbing desperately. Tears that should have been impossible spilled out of his eyes as he choked on each and every sob, trying to be quiet so she wouldn't hear him. He laid down on his side and curled into the fetal position, clamping his hands over his mouth to quiet the noises he was making. He grabbed a handful of towels, shoved them hard over his mouth and screamed into them, the final cord of his self control having snapped. He got up and tore the bathroom apart, punched holes in the walls, threw soap and other human niceties, breaking anything within his reach. He stopped suddenly when he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. He had the look of a man who'd seen hell. Oh, he was still beautiful, but there was no way anyone who looked at him would fail to notice the haunted look in his eyes. James knew how he usually looked. He always had the sparkle of arrogance in his eyes, and he walked tall, proudly. Now he was hunched over the sink, all signs of life gone from his eyes. He couldn't look at himself for long. He smashed the mirror into pieces small enough that no matter where he looked he couldn't see his face. It took him hours and when he was done he looked around and fell to his knees. He began to weep again, for her but also for him, because she would only live sixty or so more years and then she would be gone, and he knew he would never recover. But he cried in relief too, because at least he'd given her an eternity in heaven to forget the pain he'd put her through. He gave her hope, and the chance that maybe she'd find her true love in heaven. He knew he'd already found his, and it was worth being damned for. He would spend an eternity in hell and if anyone asked him if the life he'd lived as a vampire was worth eternal torment, he would say yes without the slightest hesitation because his life as a vampire had led him to Beth Sanderson. He'd go to hell for that, and he'd be grateful for it.


	19. Chapter 19

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 19: "Broken."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Thank you. WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

When James finally made his way out of the bathroom, his soul broken, the fire completely gone out of him, he saw that Beth hadn't moved a centimeter since he'd pulled out of her. Her legs were still spread open and she hadn't made the slightest effort to cover herself or move at all. The thought that she was that far gone nearly had him on his knees in front of her, weeping at her feet for her to wake up or say something, or just move. Instead he picked her up and laid her one of the beds, crawled in between her legs and laid his head on her stomach. He knew he had no right to seek comfort from her, even in just resting on her physically, but he was so emotionally tattered that he couldn't bear not to. She didn't move for a long time. But finally, she lifted her unbroken hand and pulled the band out of his hair. She ran her fingers through his hair gently, comfortingly. He bit his tongue nearly in half to keep from screaming. How could she bear to touch him? How could she comfort him now that he was well and truly a monster? Had he truly broken her spirit that badly?

He looked up at her hoping for some sign of anger or hate, or even sadness, anything to tell him he hadn't broken her completely but her expression was as void and dead as it had been before. He laid his head back down and focused on not defiling her body with his unwanted, wretched tears. He would spare her that at least.

They spent the night like that, a deathlike quiet stealing over them. Neither spoke or slept that night.

It was noon before either of them stirred, both afraid to move lest they disturb the other. Finally, after a thousand thoughts of doubt and insecurity, James pressed a gentle, heartfelt kiss to her stomach that stirred strange feelings in the remnants of her dead heart. She was torn between pulling him closer and pushing him away. She didn't move.

He pulled away from kissing her and got up. He pulled on his jacket and started gathering their stuff, very aware of the fact that she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon, and that just a bag of Doritos. He would grab something for her on the way out of town. He didn't want to leave her alone when she was this fragile. He couldn't quite get past the fact that she still hadn't tried to cover herself up.

"Get up and get dressed, Beth," he said emotionlessly. "We need to get moving."

She didn't show any signs of moving. He bit his lip until he began to feel the skin giving way, allowing blood to flow into his mouth. This was so hard. He didn't want to be unkind to her, especially when she was so… _broken_.

He swallowed his blood and saliva, and stood in front of the bed.

"Get up." It was an order. After breaking her wrist, his tone alone should have been enough to get her moving. It wasn't. She didn't budge.

He was starting to panic, and that made him angry, because he just didn't do panic. He grabbed her forearm and yanked her up none-too-gently but she wouldn't hold her weight up, or couldn't. Now he was downright scared.

"Stand up!" he nearly shouted, standing her on her feet, but they wouldn't hold her up. "I said, _stand up!_ "

He slapped her. Not hard enough to leave a mark, but the sound alone told him it hurt. He didn't care. He just needed her to show some sign of life or he would be sure he'd broken her irreparably which in his mind was as good as killing her. The thought alone was unspeakable, being faced with the possible reality of it sent sheer terror through his entire body so that he shook violently.

Her feet moved and she stood up on her own two feet, but the dead look remained unflinchingly on her face. He choked in a breath of relief and laid his forehead against her jugular, reveling in the reassuring feel of her pulse. She didn't blink. She didn't push him away. She did nothing. And it killed him.

She seemed incapable of doing much on her own. He would command her to do something but she would just stand there stupidly as though she hadn't heard him. He grabbed her clothes and put them in her arms, pointing her toward the bathroom. He was surprised when she went into it and shut the door, though he didn't hear the usual click of the lock. It was part of her personality to be stupidly human. Modesty was also part of her dazzling personality. She was neither anymore.

Beth started the shower and hopped in, not caring that it was icy cold. She couldn't feel it anyway. She couldn't feel anything really. She could observe what was around her and come to conclusions, and she did, but she didn't waste too much time on that. She was busy making a plan to escape James.


	20. Chapter 20

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 20: "The Impossible."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. The song Beth sings at the end of this chapter is The Impossible by Joe Nichols. It's a great country song, very inspiring. Check it out! Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Thank you. WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

He waited a long time for her to come out of the bathroom. He was patient and gave her time. She was probably on the floor of the shower, weeping. The thought nearly made him bust down the door and take her in his arms and confess the whole thing. But he was strong. He firmly believed that she would get over this and move past it.

She came out dressed and walked across the room, but her blood permeated the air, and it wasn't period blood. He could tell the difference. He froze as anger seeped into his body. She had cut again. Fury in his eyes, he flitted over to her and grabbed her by the arms, tossing her on the bed, not caring that the void look was still on her face and that she didn't show the least bit of surprise or fear at being tossed around like a ragdoll. He flitted across the room, shaking with anger as he grabbed her boots and socks. He flitted back across the room and knelt in front of her. He'd put her shoes on her and then he'd break her other wrist. It would kill him to do it but he had to keep her from hurting herself. She could accidently slit a vein open and he might not be around to rush her to a hospital, or even if he was, he might not make it in time.

He started to push her sock onto her foot but her knee jerked as if he'd hurt her. He looked up at her, confused, but her face was still void, her eyes unfocused and distant. He dropped the sock and lifted her foot to examine it. She couldn't have been cutting her feet, could-

His eyes widened in horror. _The mirror!_ his mind screamed. He began to tremble violently in fear. God, what had he done to her? Had she really walked on broken glass and not even noticed? Couldn't she _feel?_ Had he hurt her so badly, so irreparably, that she was completely numb to everything else?

"Beth-" he began hoarsely, tears spilling from his eyes.

"You broke the bathroom," she said, her voice small and childlike, the dead expression still in her eyes.

He tried not to sob and confess it all. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, harder than resisting the blood of a singer. He knew because he'd tried to go the vegetarian route once, in the very beginning, but the dam of his self-control broke when he'd tried to resist a singer he'd come across. He hadn't lasted long but the moments he had weren't as hard as this. This was agony and what added the element of horror to it all was the fact that he'd brought all of this on himself.

"You did it because you felt guilty for raping me, didn't you?" she said quietly.

The word "rape" was spoken in the same exact way as the other words in that sentence but it still withered him inside.

"You have a conscience," she said, sounding completely emotionless. "You're not an animal. I could have forgiven an animal for rutting me like a pig. You're not an animal. You have a soul."

 _Is that what she really got out of all this?_ James thought, laughing inwardly at the absurdity of him having a soul or her even contemplating whether he did or not. But he couldn't laugh because her lips were quivering and he could see the first signs of emotion seeping through the wall she'd built around her to protect herself. Tears were leaking from the corners of her eyes and her chest was heaving as she tried to control her breathing and not break down completely. He was awed by her strength. She'd been through something worse than death and she was still maintaining control over her emotions. She was a pillar of strength, a tower in the middle of the wasteland that had been her life thus far. He vowed to make it all up to her. His plan was out the door. He would find some way to accomplish the impossible and make her love him again. The alternative was unbearable, even if it did mean he'd raped her for nothing and it had all been a waste. He didn't know if she would ever be able to love him but he'd spend the rest of her mortal life trying to earn her love back.

She took a shaky breath and continued.

"A few months ago- No," she said, shaking her head. "A few _days_ ago, I would have said that it's impossible for someone to forgive the man who raped them, not if he had a conscience. But I once thought the existence of vampires was _impossible_. I thought being happy was _impossible_ for me after everything I'd seen in the world. So in the last week I've learned a few lessons. The biggest of which…" She swallowed thickly and took a deep breath, closing her eyes, making tears leak out of them. "… is to never. Underestimate. The _impossible_."

The last word was whispered and he couldn't believe he'd heard it. He looked at her in confusion and disbelief. She couldn't possibly be saying what he thought she was saying, that it was _possible_ that she might one day be able to forgive him. It just wasn't possible, certainly not after less than twenty-four hours after he'd raped her, not when they were in the same room where it had happened. She couldn't mean it. She was numb, talking crazy, _something_. _No one_ was that good, that pure, that forgiving.

The full weight of what he'd done and the kind of person he'd done it to was heaped on him like a ton of bricks. He screamed in anguish, his gut wrenching. He sobbed into her lap, not caring that had his face practically buried in her crotch. There was nothing remotely sexual about his motives in touching her and he was certain there never would be again. He could never make love to her after this. She was an angel, holy and perfect, sainted, and he was worse than the devil because he'd defiled her. He'd stolen her innocence. Even before he had raped her he hadn't done right by her. He should have treasured her, not consumed her like a rabid, lustful animal.

And so he wept. He didn't care that he was a man and a vampire, and that crying was the opposite of masculine. His pride meant nothing in the face of the sheer beauty of her angelic soul. He didn't expect her to reach out to comfort him and he flinched when she gently brushed his loose hair away from his face, almost afraid of being touched by someone so good. He laid his cheek against her thigh and allowed himself to just cry and not think about anything but her comforting touch on his head.

She began to hum a song that was unfamiliar to him.

" _Unsinkable ships, sink,_ " she sang softly. " _Unbreakable walls, break. Sometimes the things you think would never happen, happen just like that. Unbendable steel, bends. If the fury of the wind is unstoppable. I've learned to never underestimate, the impossible. The impossible…_ "


	21. Chapter 21

_**The Hunter**_

 **Chapter 21: "Dear James."**

 **A/N: Beth is played by Shannon Sossamon. Her singing voice is played by the singer from Flyleaf. James' voice is played by the singer from Nickelback. Also, tons of sex in this fic. If you don't like it, don't read it. It's definitely mature. Thank you. WARNING! MATURE CONTENT AHEAD!**

James stopped crying eventually and they sat in silence for a long time, hours. It was only when Beth's stomach protested the lack of food that he finally moved. He felt like a selfish bastard, accepting comfort from Beth when she was probably starving.

He got up and got a washcloth from the bathroom and wet it with warm water. He dug through her backpack and found a nail file set that had a pair of tweezers, which was what he was hoping to find. He knelt in front of her and picked the shards of glass from her feet, his lips quivering as he tried not to cry at the sight of her blood drops hitting the carpet. For someone who didn't even know he could cry he had a hard time keeping the flow down.

He now noticed that she had left bloody footprints on her way out of the bathroom. He felt like a monster, was almost positive that she felt the same and had only been trying to torment him earlier with the possibility of forgiveness, but he couldn't quite believe her capable of doing anything so cruel and sadistic.

When all the shards were gone he cleaned up her feet. Some of the cuts were dangerously deep and he winced as he cleaned them because he knew they were extremely painful. He would have to watch them for infection, and she certainly couldn't wear shoes for the next few weeks or they'd be sure to fester. He would have to carry her everywhere which was hardly a sacrifice since it gave him a valid excuse to hold her.

He gathered their stuff, slung their few bags over his arms, picked her up and carried her out to the truck. He left her there hesitantly to check out of the motel. She had that dead look back on her face, the one that chilled him to his brutalized soul. He made sure he could see her from the receptionist's window. Left a seven hundred dollar tip, which he figured would cover at least most of the damages. Maybe not the replacement for the bloodstained carpet but for most of it at least. He didn't know why he bothered except that it seemed like something Beth would want him to do. He wouldn't tell her. No, that would be selfish, and he was through with selfishness. Life was about her now. Just knowing he'd done it would be enough.

They went through the McDonald's drive through and he ordered for her because she ignored him when he asked her what she wanted she'd ignored him. That or she'd left the building again, which scared the bejesus out of him.

She picked at her food while he drove. He'd finally had enough of her stomach growling loudly at her and said something.

"You need to eat, Beth," he said, trying not to be irritated. She needed to take care of herself, damn it.

"I don't feel like eating," she said picking at the egg on her sausage McMuffin. Her food was no doubt cold by now but he didn't care, she needed to eat or she'd get sick. The idea of her getting sick because of him and what he'd done to her made him angry, mostly at himself, but a little bit at her too, because he didn't particularly enjoy loathing himself and because she was Beth it was somehow her fault, even if she was a holy angel sent down to lead sinners to the light. It all made sense in his mind.

"Beth, you are going to eat," he said, gripping the steering wheel tightly, trying to reign in his irritation. "I won't have you getting sick because you've decided to be stubborn."

"No," she said childishly, folding up the wrapper.

He popped his jaw and cocked his head to the side, his eyes losing focus as he started to get angry. He could do anger. Despair? Not so much. But anger? Hell, yes.

He was grateful for the relief from the pain of his soul shattering but not enough to let Beth get away with telling him _no_. She didn't get to say _no_. She belonged to him. _He_ made the decisions, and angel or not, she would toe his line or face the consequences.

"Beth," he said warningly. "Don't make me angry. You won't like the consequences."

She rolled down her window, and for a second he thought she was having the nerve to actually _ignore_ him. _Him!_

And then she threw the McMuffin and the rest of the food out the window.

For a moment, he couldn't believe she'd done it. Then she turned to him with a cheeky smile, her eyebrow raised in challenge. For a moment his heart soared. _This_ was his Beth, not the dead robot girl from this morning who'd walked on broken glass and was too numb to notice. He didn't dare to hope that she'd recovered that much, that she was that strong and resilient, and then the fact that she'd just challenged his authority, openly _defied_ him, sank in, and he became furious.

He slammed on the brakes, the seatbelts' safety action keeping them from launching forward and hitting their heads on the dash, though it would have done far more damage to her than him. He ripped his seatbelt off, breaking it, and yanked his door open, barely restraining from breaking it too. He got out and flitted around to her side, opened her door, undid her seatbelt and yanked her out of the truck, her eyes wide with astonishment as he dragged her down the road the way they came, picking up tattered pieces of McMuffin until he had something that vaguely resembled the sandwich it once had been. He shoved it into her hand and shoved her hand under her nose.

"Now _eat it_ ," he said sharply.

She looked horrified at the idea and took a step back. She gained her bearings quickly though and gave him a hard glare.

" _No_ ," she said, getting ready to throw the sandwich at him.

He grabbed her wrist painfully tight and got in her face.

"Don't. You. _Dare_ ," he said dangerously.

She opened her mouth angrily, no doubt to snap at him, but then a look of remembrance crossed her, then fear, and it tore him to pieces, which just made him angrier.

"Alright, James," she said softly, not meeting his eyes and trembling with fear, no doubt terrified that he'd violate her again. It burned his heart out.

She moved to take a bite of the sandwich, not even looking repulsed in her effort to pacify him, but he slapped the sandwich out of her hands before her lips could touch it. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her against his chest, kissing her soundly before pulling back to look at her angrily.

"Do you really think I would let you eat garbage, Beth? Is that what you think of me?" he demanded angrily, not even sure why he was angry anymore, just wanting to yell and be angry because it was better than crying and brooding over the ashes of his heart. "Well, let me tell you this, Beth Sanderson: I will _always_ do what is best for you, whether you like it or not, and you'll do what I say whether you like it or not too, because right now I'm the only thing between you and your father, and you and Victoria! Let me clue you in, baby girl: _I don't want to hurt you_. You're _mine_ , and I take care of what's mine, so stop sassing me and start listening. You've got to do what I say, you've got to _trust_ me!"

" _Trust you!_ " she suddenly shrieked in anger, shoving his hands off of her. "How _dare_ you ask me to trust you after what you did to me!"

Yes, this was it, this was the Beth he wanted, all fire and fury. He ignored the hurt and betrayal in her eyes and focused on the anger instead.

"Oh, that bother you? Me fucking you, going down on you, touching you? Never has before, _slut_ -"

 _CRACK!_ He couldn't believe she had slapped him. For several long moments he just stood there, staring at her, stunned while she silently seethed in fury, trembling violently with anger. And then all he could think about was how stunning she looked, even with Victoria's handprint on the side of her face and bruises and bites all over her from their lovemaking. She emanated a raw, feminine power, seductive and sensual even while volatile and dangerous. He wanted some.

Without thinking he grabbed a handful of her shirtfront and yanked her forward, kissing her with bruising, punishing force. He wasn't thinking straight. It hadn't occurred to him that sex and everything that went with that kind of intimacy had supposedly gone out the door when he'd raped her. All he thought about was the warmth of her lips on his and absorbing some of that power.

She clawed at him, but not to get away. Her scent sweetened, permeating the air, and reality hit him hard. She wanted him. He'd just _raped_ her, and she fucking _wanted_ him. He was so shocked that he stumbled back and fell on his ass in his attempt to get the hell away from her so he could sort this out like a reasonable adult. She moved forward, a concerned look on her face, but he got up and started pacing before she could touch him.

He tried to sort out the facts. He had raped her. They had been fighting. And now she _wanted_ him. She wanted to have sex. With him. After he had _raped_ her. It wasn't realistic. She was playing a trick on him. He looked at her to gauge her emotions. She wasn't paying attention to him anymore. The dead look was back. _Just fucking great_ , James thought. _Just what I need. The automaton is back._ _Just when I was actually getting somewhere with her I have to go and fuck it up by letting my hormones get the better of me…_ He continued to inwardly rant at himself while Beth stared off into space. He had no idea what was going on in her head but he'd give just about anything to know.

A car passed them on the highway, then pulled over on the side of the road. A man in his mid-thirties hopped out and started to walk toward them. He was a bit of a hulk, but James was unimpressed. He'd eaten bigger for lunch.

"Are you guys broken down?" the man called, still walking toward them at a leisurely pace.

"No, mister, now get back in your fucking car and drive away before I fucking kill you!" James shouted irritably.

The man froze and James saw his eyes dart to Beth with concern.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" the man asked, eyeing James suspiciously out of the corner of his eye.

Beth said nothing, just stared off into space.

"Ma'am?" the man said again, trying to get her attention, then recognition flashed in his eyes, and James knew this guy knew Beth was the missing Forks girl from the news.

James crouched to attack.

"I'm fine, just go away!" Beth said suddenly, tears in her eyes. She shook her head at James, pleading with him to let the man live. Was she out of her mind? The man would call the cops! That was the last thing he needed!

The man started walking forward but James lunged for him, tackling him to the ground. James bit the man in the neck, coming up with a plan. He would drain the man until he was at death's door and then pull away. It would be painfully hard to do but for Beth he could do anything.

"Stop!" Beth shrieked, hitting James on the back. " _Stop!_ "

He drained the man until the man's blood tasted clean and then pulled away. It was very hard but he'd lived through worse in the last twenty-four hours than that.

"You monster, you monster!" Beth cried, sinking to the ground in front of the man. "You've killed him!" She didn't seem to notice the man was breathing faintly.

James picked her up but she fought him. It was no use though because he was stronger and she seemed very tired. Eventually she stopped fighting and went limp in his arms.


End file.
